Amongst Thorns and Thistles
by littlemaru
Summary: With the eighteen year old prince suddenly and unexpectedly taken ill, it is the duty of his shield and advisor to protect him, even at the peril of themselves. Sequel to Prelude.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

* * *

Gladiolus felt himself becoming impatient.

He sat in the car, parked up within walking distance of the citadel, as he so often did on Ignis's only free evening. He checked the time on his phone, an irritating habit that manifested itself whenever council meetings began to overrun. He was just glad not to be in there today, his own schedule tied up with the prince. It had been a long day of training and not much time for anything else.

He'd taken the prince out of the city, not through official channels and by no means asking for any sort of permission, but as a test of the boy's strength. Together they fought and brought down a Voretooth, a struggle but a worthy one at that. The prince had done well despite being thrown aside at one point by the beast. He would likely be bruised in the morning; as Gladio assumed, _it had done the boy good to experience the fight of a real enemy_.

It began to rain, heavier with each passing moment despite the forecast. He soon caught sight of the man he had been waiting for, briefcase in hand and glasses shimmering in the streetlights that lit up the evening dusk.

 _About time_ , Gladiolus thought. He'd been looking forward to this all day.

He switched on the engine, windscreen wipers clicked on as the rain grew heavier. Ignis approached the passenger side door swiftly and let himself in.

"Evening."

"You're late tonight."

Ignis sighed, removing his now very soaked coat.

"Apologies."

Gladio indicated to pull away from the roadside, his eyes catching sight of the rather drenched, slightly overtired Ignis in the mirror.

"You can dry off at my place." Gladio spoke, switching on the heat.

"Thank you."

Ignis removed his glasses, drying them as best he could on his shirt which was slightly less wet than everything else. He was not in the greatest of moods, that much Gladio could tell.

"How was your meeting?" The older man attempted conversation.

"Problematic." Ignis replied flatly, hands tightening around the briefcase on his lap.

"What's problematic?"

The advisor exhaled hesitantly.

"An outpost not far from the Weaverwilds.." he spoke softly, replacing the glasses he had carefully dried.

"That's not so far,"

"No, it isn't."

Gladio looked to the briefcase on the younger mans lap, his eyes off the road for just a moment. He felt a pair of eyes on him, intense and scrutinising.

"I will elaborate later," Ignis continued, quieter than before. "I don't want to spoil our evening,"

"Does Noct know?"

"Ah." Ignis uttered, leaning back against the headrest. "I haven't told him."

"Are you going to?"

"For now, no," he replied. "He's not ready."

Gladio nodded, attempting to swallow concern. As the kings shield it was rather difficult.

"Speaking of the prince, how was training?" Ignis spoke up, an attempt to change the subject.

"He did good."

Ignis raised a suspicious eyebrow. Gladio hoped he wouldn't pry further.

" _Good_ you say?"

"Yeah." He replied swiftly, putting all thought of Voretooth daemons out of mind. " _Noct did good_."

"Well," Ignis exhaled, surprised. "That is somewhat a relief."

Gladio nodded, tired eyes focused on the road ahead.

The pair spoke very little on the short drive back to Gladio's apartment, both too tired and unwilling to discuss their day for a variety of reasons. The briefcase had a lot to answer for, likely carrying the very report that had put Ignis in a downcast mood. It was something they would discuss later, as the Kings shield and advisor. Tonight however was theirs; all mention of daemons were to be forgotten.

The rain held up its downpour as they they parked up and made their way inside Gladio's apartment. The briefcase was placed on the table by the doorway, out of sight and out of mind. Ignis didn't wish to think about it anymore tonight.

"Drink?"

Ignis looked up at the taller man, waiting for him in the kitchen doorway.

"Thank you.."

He followed after the taller man, away from the dreaded briefcase and his soaked coat that he'd hung up to dry.

"You look like you need one."

"Ah," Ignis murmured to himself, adjusting his glasses. "Is that so..."

Gladiolus retrieved a bottle from the wine rack and two glasses, pouring them both a generous helping.

"What I mean is you seem tired." Gladio explained, handing a glass over.

 _Tired_ indeed." He murmured, taking a sip.

Tired quite often became code word for _terrible day and not willing to discuss_. They both had a habit of using it and tonight was no different. Ignis was definitely tired to say the least - stressed and a big _fuck you_ to the Empire however was a better description. Either way the council meeting was over. The briefcase was in the hallway. He was here now, with him.

He looked up from his glass as Gladio covered the short distance between them, placing the wine on the kitchen counter beside, concerned eyes intent on the man before him.

He leaned forward and placed a soft kiss on the advisors lips, brisk but reassuring.

"Better?"

"I've missed you," the advisor whispered, the first thing he had said all day that didn't concern that damn report in his briefcase.

He let the taller man remove the wine glass from his own hands, placing it curtly on the side next to his own. He lifted Ignis's chin to meet his stare, waiting for the advisor to reach in and kiss him. It didn't take long.

"Wine, dinner, then bed?" Gladio spoke against the small kisses of his younger lover.

"Yes, but I can't stay tonight," he replied, pulling away for a moment. "I need to be at the citadel early."

Ignis watched the taller man frown, the hand that had clutched the side of his face falling to squeeze his arm instead.

"No problem," Gladio replied. "I'll drop you home after bed then."

Ignis raised an eyebrow, unable to react swiftly enough before he was pulled in for another kiss. _He really had missed this_ , he thought, _a week without five minutes alone together could be difficult_.

Ignis pulled back to remove his glasses momentarily.

"Well that's a first."

Ignis frowned.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You usually leave them on." Gladio retorted, taking another sip of wine.

" _You usually complain._ "

Gladio smiled and handed the advisor his glass.

"When you wear them in bed, yeah,"

He watched the advisor frown as he drank.

"I need them to see, in case you forgot," Ignis replied, placing his glasses away in the top pocket of his shirt.

Gladiolus sighed, smiling at the off tone in the advisor's voice.

"To think that I thought the wine would help you relax..." he uttered, studying the spectacles-free face of the man before him. "You're as uptight as ever."

Ignis finished the wine in his glass, a nervous distraction.

"Uptight you say?" He said, placing the empty glass back on the kitchen counter.

"Go steady, Iggy, that stuff is strong."

Ignis looked to the bottle on the counter - his vision lacking without the help of his glasses.

" _Good_."

##

Night was swiftly approaching.

The prince returned to his room at the citadel after training - he was exhausted and thankful not to have anything else to do. _Better yet, it was Ignis's evening off._ That meant Noctis could truly relax and do absolutely nothing. He even ordered takeout pizza on a whim.

After dinner in front of tv and video games he took his time in the shower, cleaned off any hints of Voretooth slaughter from his skin that he had missed earlier and carefully avoided the dark bruise spreading over his left side. It was particularly sore and increasing in ache with each passing hour - there was no way he'd be up for any more training this week. Gladio seemed pleased enough with his progress - bruises included.

It had been quite a number of years since a daemon had thrown the prince around like a rag doll. He hoped it would never happen again, despite the praise and excitement he received from the kings shield. He'd assured him it would not be the last time it happened and he _definitely had to be prepared for it or else_.

Noctis pretended he was cool with that.

He made his way out of the shower, careful not to slip over on the tiled floor. He dressed himself carefully into his pyjamas, a little overcome with exhaustion from training and desperate to sleep. It was barely an hour into the darkness of evening and yet here he was ready for bed, a guilty pleasure when Ignis was not ordering him around.

The prince attempted to climb into bed, the room suddenly shifting in his vision. It dawned on him that he was not feeling particularly well.

He ignored the messages coming through to him on his phone from Prompto, a little more than distracted by the wave of nausea that swept over him out of nowhere.

 _Perhaps it was the greasy takeout_ , he thought begrudgingly, imagining the lecture that would follow in the morning should he be taken ill.

With the assumption that he had simply overdone it today with Gladio, he pulled the duvet around himself, and attempted to sleep it off.

##

The night had finally come.

The city and the surroundings that encircled it were dark, perfectly so, the curtains drawn enough in Ignis's room to blot out the bleak discomfort of Insomnia. Tonight it was particularly troubling.

He'd arrived back at the citadel several hours ago, Ebony in tow to help sober him from the bottle of wine he'd had with Gladio.

Ignis had initially struggled up the stairs to his room, the alcohol doing a number on him, but somehow he made it without waking anyone or drawing attention to himself. _Or so he believed anyway._

His bed was comfortable and warm, the sheets clean and ironed by himself, and yet despite the drinking it was not enough to lull him to sleep. An addiction to Ebony had rather a lot to answer for. He was still drunk of course, but his heart raced furiously in his chest from the Ebony. It was an uncomfortable combination of poisons.

Ignis stared at the ceiling, glasses placed firmly on his bedside table with some reading that had preoccupied him earlier in the first hour he had tried to sleep - a report of which came to mix quite horribly with the caffeine in his system and played havoc with his fragile sleeping pattern.

There was not often time for sleep. He had been attending the council for no longer than a few years and remained as it's youngest member. It was an achievement he had barely the time to consider, nor the parental figures to share with.

When Ignis was not in meetings, he was training with Gladio. If he was not training with Gladio, he was usually trying to fit a week's worth of intimacy into one evening with him instead. When he was not being wined and dined by Gladio, he was taking care of the prince and at times, his friend Prompto. He understood the importance and purpose of his role, all carefully considered preparation for his duty as the prince's advisor. He had more recently begun to share a greater wealth of information from council meetings with the prince, a sort of lure to reel in his engagement. One day Noctis would be king. Unfortunately the prince feigned little interest and had other ideas.

Ignis took it upon himself as advisor to carry much of the burden for and on behalf of the prince. The particular report he had collected this evening affected him greatly - it was not the first to do so and would not be the last - yet he had no intentions of discussing it with Noctis any time soon. The prince was not ready for it.

In recent days there had been further destruction on account of the daemon Marilith, a small but densely populated village not far from the city obliterated in the dead of night. The remains of the area itself found charred and utterly demolished.

The King had failed in his multiple efforts to eliminate the daemon who had attempted to murder a young prince Noctis several years ago, and so it continued to roam, hiding in darkness at arms length from civilisation.

As a given, it was only a matter of time before it would try again, razing whole neighbourhoods to the ground in its taste for blood. It was an omen they could hope to be prepared for, a thought that only continued to hinder attempts at sleep.

Ignis pulled the duvet higher up around his shoulders, just gracing the tip of his nose. It was a subtle attempt to try and relax, force himself into sleep somehow and ignore any howl of daemons that crept into the night beyond his window. He shuffled tactfully until the duvet wrapped a little tighter around his frame. His bed was beginning to feel like a cocoon.

Ignis attempted to close his eyes for the umpteenth time that night, fooling himself that it was not as late as it was, despite the clock on the chest of drawers warning him otherwise. It was truly late, or possibly early, depending on how one looked at it.

He attempted to clear his mind of thoughts, _a near impossible task by his own standards_ , shifting all thoughts of attack from his mind.

 _They were safe in the citadel_ , that he knew to be true.

And yet for every moment he managed to clear a void in his minds eye, a greater one came to surface, a much darker, menacing irritant that loomed and held on tight with a vice like grip.

In the eventual sleep that came to Ignis, he realised he was dreaming when he could no longer shift such thoughts of the Empire away. He willed himself to be awake, or at least he had thought, forcing his tired self to sit upright in bed. He had struggled to breathe comfortably under the mass of duvet that had gathered around him. A thin layer of sweat had formed on his skin, worsened by a shiver and a heavy pulling sensation across his chest and stomach. Despite Ignis's belief that he was awake and in control, his subconscious had other ideas. Shadows cast in the darkness ignited with a single strand of paranoia he had little to no control over.

The cry of a daemon in the night filtered through to his nightmare, taking form as the presence of the Marilith daemon.

 _The Kingsglaive had failed to protect the citadel, the Marilith was here and he knew it would come_ , he thought, tossing and turning to shake off the invisible weight from his body.

His eyes jolted open and he awoke abruptly from the nightmare.

Of course, the duvet had wrapped itself tightly around his upper body, muffling any comfortable attempts to breathe and maintain a comfortable temperature. Ignis immediately pushed the duvet away from its hold on him, oxygen rushing to his straining lungs.

The bed suddenly stirred at his sudden movement, hands grappling at him, a darkened silhouette looming over his face.

Ignis panicked momentarily, an aftermath of the adrenaline brought on by the nightmare. His heart raced violently in his chest at the intruder pulling at him against his will in his own bed. Instinctively his daggers lit up the room with a flash of blue, enough to shake the intruder into an alert of their own, a familiar cry of fear.

" _Ignis_ -"

The man in question lashed out, an uncontrolled flurry of daggers in the dark. His attacker managed to scramble out of reach, in luck that Ignis' vision wavered in the utter bleakness of the room, blinded by the flash of his weapon and the lack of his glasses. He struggled to halt his attack, a dagger colliding hard at the wall with a bang. He was certain he had just missed the intruder, spurred on and off target by overwhelming adrenaline and fear, the duvet being thrown half way down the bed with his remaining dagger raised defensively. .

The frightened eyes of the prince glimmered in the glow of the blue weapon ready to strike its foe.

With delayed realisation, Ignis paused.

" _What...what are you..."_

A sensation of nausea and sickly fear swept over him. The dagger he had thrown presented itself as a large split in the wallpaper just beyond the bed.

"I could've..." Ignis struggled to get his breath back.

He lowered his remaining dagger, realising he had been poised still to attack.

" _My bed_..." Ignis spoke, startled at the boy and the look in his eyes. "What are you doing?"

"I-I couldn't sleep,"

Ignis exhaled uncomfortably, leaning forward to grasp the prince by the arm.

"Are you hurt?"

It was hard to see without the help of his glasses, but the prince appeared unscathed.

"You missed idiot..."

Ignis grabbed him by the shoulder, roughly.

" **Don't ever do that again.** "

The prince froze, hesitant at the furious reaction of someone whom he had relied on for calm and clarity. It was the first time he had seen him not only without his glasses, but lacking his usual self restraint and cold composure.

The prince shrugged him off, pushing the older man away as roughly as he had been grabbed. The room appeared to be spinning.

"I'm sorry..." Ignis insisted rather abruptly, his voice strained. "You frightened me, I didn't expect..."

Realising he couldn't see the prince, he reached for his glasses, placing them promptly on his face. Noctis noticed that his hands were shaking.

In the darkness of the bedroom he caught the glimmer of the princes eyes staring back at him, tense and as uncomfortable as he felt.

"Your highness,"

" _Noct_..."

Ignis paused, studying the annoyance in the boy's voice. It was to be expected - he had mistakenly just attempted to slaughter him.

Again he sighed uncomfortably, shifting his position on the bed in an attempt to pull himself together. The sudden lack of duvet began to cast the start of a shiver.

"Noct," Ignis spoke, quieter and softer this time. "Why are you out of bed?"

He avoided the question of Noctis being in _his bed_ of course, not wanting to make the situation any worse.

"I'm not feeling so great," he replied, his voice tense and shaken. "I can't sleep..."

He watched the expression in his advisors face change from fury to concern. Again Ignis shifted his position on the bed, closing the gap between them.

"What's the matter?"

"I don't know," Noctis spoke, his advisor resting the back of his hand against his forehead.

"You feel a little hot," Ignis murmured. "A possible temperature..."

"Great."

"Do you feel hot? Cold?"

Noctis sighed, leaning forward on his hands as dizziness began to take his toll. He had not expected to avoid murder upon entry into Ignis's room.

"Uh, cold..."

Noting that the duvet was half way across the room on account of Noctis' midnight appearance, Ignis got up and retrieved it along with the dagger sticking out of the wall. He hoped no one had awoken in the citadel from the sound of it.

He was careful not to trip in the darkness, the Marilith all but forgotten and replaced by something else to keep Ignis from sleep.

"Lay down," he ordered the prince, who followed hesitatingly.

Ignis returned the duvet to the bed, making sure that Noctis was comfortable, not too warm nor cold.

"Let me get a better look at you..."

Noctis winced as the bedside light switched on, the warm glow sending shockwaves through his retinas.

"Do you have a migraine?"

"Uh not yet," Noctis replied, closing his eyes sorely. "Just got too used to the dark."

He watched as the older man perched on the edge of the bed at his side, a hand returning to his forehead.

"Are you dizzy? Disorientated?"

"A little," Noctis replied. "But I did just almost become mince meat."

He watched as his advisor frowned, thoughtfully.

"My apologies." Ignis murmured, removing his hand from the prince.

He adjusted his glasses, pushing them a little further up, aware of the eyes watching him.

"Your temperate does feels rather raised." Ignis informed. "I'll bring you some water.."

"I'm not thirsty,"

"It will help."

Noctis watched as his advisor got up from the bed. His vision was starting to blur slightly.

The prince closed his eyes with a sigh, attempting to ignore the threat of impending migraine.

Ignis returned with water and forced him to drink an entire glass, much to the Noct's disliking.

"I hate water."

"I'm well aware." Ignis retorted, placing the empty glass on the bedside table.

"Is this punishment for sneaking up on you?"

Noct expected the man to smile. Ignis remained as serious as ever.

"The water is for the migraine," he explained, matter of factly. "Taking into account your inability to drink water I assumed you might be dehydrated."

"I'm pretty sure I didn't say I had a migraine just yet..."

He felt Ignis's hand return to his forehead.

"You have a temperature. Your eyes are over sensitive to the light. You're in my bed, in the middle of the night," the advisor spoke, his eyes studying the princes face. "I made my assumptions..."

Noctis smiled half heartedly, a gesture unreturned.

"You had better get some rest,"

"I'll try." Noctis murmured, laying back against the pillow. "I'm sorry..."

He watched as Ignis returned the room to its former darkened state and made himself comfortable in the armchair at the side of the bed. The warmth of the older man at his side grew cold.

"What are you doing ?"

"Sleep is required sometimes, Noct," Ignis said. " Did you assume otherwise?"

"Uh no."

"Well then,"

The advisor propped up one of the cushions against the back of the armchair.

"This is a king size bed you know."

"So it is."

"Then get in, idiot."

Ignis frowned at the sharpness in the princes voice, an insult he had heard twice already in ten minutes.

"Would you rather I slept on the floor?" Noctis continued when the reply did not come quick enough.

"You'll do no such thing." Ignis replied.

"I will if you sleep in that damn chair."

Even in the darkness the prince could see the darkening of his advisors stare, unreadable, slightly cold but always calculating. Too calculating for a dignified response.

"Ignis I'm not _asking_ you,"

"I'm well aware, your highness." Ignis explained, rubbing his tired eyes under his glasses. "However I must remind you that you are no longer a child and neither am I."

" _Sleep here._ "

The prince sat up from the warmth of the bed in a state of protest, a little dizzied but insistent.

He waited against the will of his looming migraine until the advisor reluctantly and silently made his way over to the empty side of the bed.

Ignis unusually said nothing. He removed his glasses and placed them along with the empty drinking glass back on the bedside table.

"I hope you're not contagious." The older man murmured, a little colder than before.

"Then I'll sleep in the chair, if that's what you're worried about,"

"Don't be absurd."

It was only at this point did Noctis pay attention to the navy blue cotton pyjamas his advisor had on, having never seen him in any state of informality before. At least not since they were children. At times it was strange to think of Ignis as _human,_ his nuances and behaviours so often very _unhuman._ He seemed to have more in common with the likes of a magitek soldier, a theory Noctis had often amused himself with.

The prince waited until the older man clambered under the duvet before resting back against the pillows.

"Satisfied?"

"As much as I can be." Noctis replied, closing his eyes as the room began to spin again. "Given that I feel like shit..."

Ignis sighed sympathetically, turning slightly to face the prince. It was an awkward stance for him, torn between his duty to care for Noctis and not wishing to be seen as an overbearing mother figure. Or a lover. Both of which made him feel a little flushed and horribly embarrassed. _Thank gods it was dark..._

"I'm unlikely to sleep, Noct, but should it happen don't be afraid to wake me if you feel any worse." He assured the prince, sitting up a little against the headboard.

Noctis turned his head to face him.

"Can't sleep tonight?"

"Unfortunately not." Ignis spoke, looking down at the prince with his black hair spread over the pillow.

"You seemed pretty asleep when I tried to wake you."

Ignis proceeded to adjust his glasses when he remembered that they were no longer on his face.

"I would hardly call that sleep."

"Bad dream?"

"Hmmm..."

Noctis turned over against the pillow to face him, the advisors tired eyes intent on the split in the wallpaper across from the bed.

"I guess that would explain the assassination attempt." Noctis said frankly, studying the unreadable expression on Ignis's face.

"I'd rather you wouldn't make light of it, Noct," Ignis spoke, frowning at the damage to the wall. "I could've hurt you."

"You could've killed me damn it...at least you missed." Noct joked, closing his eyes for a moment. "Not sure about the wall though. You'll need a decent picture frame to cover that up."

"Wonderful."

Noctis opened his eyes again, his vision a little blurred but strong enough to attempt to read the difficult man at his side.

"You look tired, specs..."

"That I am." He replied, rubbing his eyes.

"Do you remember the nightmare?"

Ignis turned to meet the questioning of the prince.

"No," he lied, bluntly. "I don't recall..."

"You tried to gut me in your sleep-"

"Noct."

"You won't do it again right?" Noctis asked, half jokingly.

"No." Ignis replied gruffly.

"Well that's a relief," Noctis said, pulling the duvet a little higher up to his chin. "I'm relying on you tonight..."

Ignis turned to face him resting at his side. The prince lay back further into the pillows, his eyes closing with little thought.

"Are you warm enough?" The older man whispered, noticing that the prince had wrapped himself up tightly.

"Less cold now you're here." Noctis replied, his voice muffled against the duvet. "I couldn't stop shivering in my own bed, I even tried putting my coat on under the sheets."

Ignis checked his temperature once again, resting the back of his hand on Noctis' side forehead.

"You're still rather warm."

"I don't feel it." Noct replied. "At least I'm less cold now."

Ignis hesitated momentarily, concerned.

"Is there anything I can do to help?"

Noctis stretched slightly and shifted under the duvet, eyes still shut.

"Any chance you could come a bit closer?" Noct asked, "you're like an oven."

Ignis's face flushed once again in the darkness at the proposition.

"I can bring you another blanket if you wish,"

"Hey- I'm not contagious..."

"Of course not."

Ignis swallowed his hesitance and shifted closer to the prince, blinking profusely as their bodies came into contact.

"Warmer?"

"Thank you,"

Ignis laid back against the pillow, eyes intent on the ceiling.

"You're most welcome."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

* * *

Gladiolus awoke alone, despite it being the morning after an evening with Ignis. It felt rather alien not to have the younger man at his side, somewhat stealing all the duvet. Whilst they were hardly the type to spend the morning in bed together he did miss the little things - he particularly enjoyed making breakfast for the two of them, despite the advisor's occasional attempts to wake up first and beat him to it. Better yet he liked the side of Ignis he got to see outside of the formal setting of the citadel - still very maintained and controlled but somewhat more natural and relaxed, in his own sort of way. He would tease the advisor about it, who would never admit to being any different outside of normal working life. Gladio liked to dub this _secret Ignis_ , much to the annoyance of the man in question.

Their relationship itself was a sort of secret, not intentionally but it had somehow worked out that way. Ignis had always been particularly guarded about such things, earning himself the nickname. For a time Gladio had played along until one such evening Iris had stumbled upon some questionable text messages on his phone. In turn his entire family knew about the pair but very few others did, not even the prince as of the time being.

 _That would make for an interesting discussion_ , the shield thought nervously, _interesting and awkward_.

It was in that moment that the alarm on his phone resounded, pulling him out of his tightly knotted thoughts. The bed suddenly felt extremely comfortable.

He sighed as he finally forced himself up, half wanting to stay where he was and mope about things.

Instead he quickly showered, begrudgingly alone, and made his way back into the bedroom. He checked his phone again, a little saddened by the lack of messages - _it was understandable, Ignis had said he would be busy today_. He kicked himself for being so soppy, made an effort to get dressed and sent a brief Gladio-style-heartfelt message to the advisor before leaving.

 _How's the hangover ?_

##

Ignis awoke to the sound of retching coming from his bathroom.

His hand fumbled across to his glasses on the bedside table, placing them hurriedly on his face. The prince was no longer at his side.

The advisor frowned uncomfortably as he sat upright in bed.

"Noct?"

He looked to the ensuite bathroom, concerned at the sudden quiet. The door slightly ajar, he clambered out of bed and made his way over.

"Is everything alright?" Ignis called out, tapping softly on the door.

"..No."

"Can I come in?"

The reply took a little longer.

"Noct?"

"Hold on..."

Ignis waited as patiently as he could, listening to the sound of shuffled movement and water flushing.

"Noct-"

The advisor peered around the small gap in the door.

He paused at the sight of the prince dressed in his pyjamas, slumped on hands and knees against the tiled floor of the bathroom.

It was only in the broad light of day coming through the window did Ignis realise how pale and unwell the boy was. He approached the collapsed heap on his bathroom floor, the door swinging hard into the wall from his sudden abrupt movement.

"You should've called for me..."

"I didn't want to wake you,"

Ignis crouched down beside him, an arm wrapped around his shivering frame.

"Can you stand?"

"Uh..."

Noctis allowed himself to be gently pulled up from the floor, his arm thrown around a much stronger shoulder and lifted to his feet. He was deeply unsteady, leaning the majority of his weight on the advisor. The room shifted beneath him.

"I've got you,"

The prince nodded, struggling to hold his head up let alone stand freely.

"Thanks,"

"Let's get you back into bed,"

"That would be great.."

He allowed the older man to half lead, half carry him back into the bedroom, more than a slight struggle.

Ignis at times forgot that Noctis was no longer the slight child he remembered but instead an almost fully grown man who was far too heavy to carry. Strength aside, he somehow managed to pull back the duvet and steer the prince into the bed.

"I _told_ you to wake me if you needed me," Ignis spoke, a little out of breathe.

"I didn't need you."

Ignis raised a slightly disapproving eyebrow, tucking the duvet around the prince.

"Is that so?"

"I'm pretty sure I can be sick correctly without your assistance," Noctis replied with a sigh, laying back against the pillow.

He watched as the advisor sat back down on the bed next to him, concerned eyes studying closely. _He was a sorry sight_ , the advisor thought, gently pushing the matted mass of black hair away from his forehead.

"So for how long were you on my bathroom floor?"

"Long enough," Noctis said, shivering slightly. "I tried not to make a mess,"

Ignis sighed, adjusting his glasses.

"You managed to avoid throwing up in the sink, the shower or the floor," Ignis spoke, frowning slightly. "I suppose that does warrant some sort of achievement..."

"Thanks."

Noctis closed his eyes for a moment, attempting to stop the dizzying sensation that clouded his vision. The bruise on his side ached worse than ever.

"I'd better get you a potion,"

"Oh yeah?" Noct replied, weakly. "Look that bad do I?"

"You look as if you need a day in bed," Ignis informed him.

"Hell yeah.."

He watched the older man get up from the bed and wander over to the chest of drawers.

"You're lucky I always have a small supply," Ignis said, retrieving the potion from a drawer.

"What else you got in there?..."

Ignis raised an eyebrow, returning to the princes side with the potion in hand.

"Nothing that would likely be of interest..."

"Hey I'm interested," Noct replied, sitting up on his elbows.

" _Now, now_ ," Ignis spoke, disapprovingly. "Surely your advisor is entitled to a little privacy?"

The prince rolled his eyes and sighed, bemused.

"Alright then," he retorted, laying back down against the pillows. " _Secret Ignis_..."

The advisor paused momentarily. He blinked a little harder than was usual or natural.

Noctis frowned.

"Specs?"

It took the man in question just a millisecond longer than was ordinary to reply, much to the amusement of the prince.

"Yes, Noct?"

"Hey did you just _glitch_?"

"Pardon?"

Noct sighed inwardly, eyes studying the suspected MT at his beck and call.

"Any chance of having some of that potion?"

Ignis looked down at the momentarily forgotten object in his hand. He felt his face heat up slightly with embarrassment.

"Of course," he said, cracking the potion over the prince.

"Thank you," Noctis replied, a sense of relief as the pain came to an abrupt halt.

He watched the older man at his side adjust his glasses, face looking a little flushed.

"I'll inform your tutor that you will be taking the day off," Ignis spoke. "And I will ask someone to bring you something to eat, you must be hungry,"

The prince sighed with a small smile.

"Silver lining to every cloud..."

"Quite," Ignis said, getting up from the bed.

"Where are you going?"

"I have to go to a meeting this morning, but I will be back by noon," he explained, retrieving clothes from his cupboard. "If you need anything at all, please don't hesitate to call me. Or Gladiolus if you can't reach me."

"Gladio huh?"

Ignis nodded, a little uncomfortable. He hoped he was not blushing.

"You seeing him today?"

"Yes, after my meeting,"

Noctis nodded, thoughtfully.

"Tell him I have a massive bruise from yesterday."

Ignis revealed a sort of smile, shutting the cupboard door with an armful of clothes.

"Ah, yes," he said, mildly amused. "He was very pleased with your progress."

"About time," Noctis retorted, closing his eyes in tiredness. "I ache all over,"

"Yes, he certainly has that affect."

Noct paused as he lay there, a little more thoughtful than usual. He opened an eye.

"Are you still training with him?"

"Of course,"

The prince watched as the advisor carefully picked out an outfit, laying it down on the bed and returning the rest to the cupboard.

"Is _that_ what you do on your evening off?"

Ignis adjusted his glasses, lifting the outfit he had chosen to wear off the bed.

"On occasion, Noct,"

The prince rolled his eyes.

"What kind of person chooses to be thrown about on their evening off?"

Ignis smiled quietly to himself.

"One of these days I'm sure you are going to admit to being an MT or something..."

##

The meeting came and went in the short space of an hour - it stood as a chance for the council members to respond to the report of the night before. But of course, there was little to go on without a secondary report from the scouts the King had sent out. It made for a difficult meeting with little to no conclusion, the King more concerned with the wellbeing of the prince.

Ignis had informed him of the brief illness the boy had come down with over night - _a slight temperature and some sickness, potion administered but currently in bed resting_.

Understandably the King worried for his only child. In turn he instructed that a doctor be called in the event that his illness worsened, but for the time being to allow the prince to remain in the care of his advisor.

It was a prospect Ignis had prepared for and could manage. However he wondered what the chances were of getting his bed back in the near future...an unlikely thought for the time being. He would have to make do with the floor - _another night in the same bed as the prince would surely raise a few eyebrows._

With that uncomfortable thought, the advisor gathered up the notes he had made, tired already despite it being barely noon. Whilst he had Noctis to thank for the lack of sleep, the report and the King's instruction to care for the prince had a lot to answer for.

He still would have to go to training - a rather tiresome effort even if it was Gladio whom he'd be sparring with. On his way out of the council chamber, he made an effort to grab some Ebony for the walk over to the training building. He made a mental note to pick up some more later if he had any hope of getting through the day.

As usual it didn't take him long to make it through the first can, dosing himself up on caffeine as quickly as possible. The five minute walk to the training session took a little less time now that he had a spring in his step.

Ignis made his way inside to the changing rooms, expecting to see Gladiolus or other people at least, however it was remarkably empty. He changed out of his formal attire into his usual training gear, filing away his briefcase and belongings into a locker. Just as he shut the door to the locker and adjusted the lock, he felt a presence at his side. He turned instinctively, caught off guard as his mind had been thinking elsewhere. Unexpectedly he felt himself pushed hard against the metal lockers, lips crushed against his own, silent beside the sound of scuffing feet.

It took Ignis a moment to relax and react to the man's abrupt kiss, his glasses off position on his nose. _Gladio really did have a way with things_ , he thought, pulling back from the kiss to make eye contact.

" _There are less frightening ways of saying hello._ "

Gladio rolled his eyes, his grip still firmly on the advisor.

"Hey, I didn't mean to _frighten_ you," the taller man replied, smiling in amusement. "I was just trying to be romantic..."

"Nothing says romance better than sneaking around..." Ignis complained, their faces still only inches apart.

"Man up, I thought you could take it,"

Ignis exhaled, adjusting his glasses back to their usual position.

"I didn't punch you, I'd say that was taking it pretty well." He replied calmly, leaning in to kiss him again.

He closed his eyes this time, briefly of course, their kiss a little softer than the abrupt one before.

"Is anyone else here?" Ignis asked, aware of their surroundings.

"No, not til later."

"Alright."

"How much time have you got today?" Gladio asked, pulling back from his hold on the shorter man.

"About an hour," Ignis replied, with a sigh. "The prince is unwell."

Gladio frowned.

"What's wrong?"

The advisor sighed, rubbing his eyes under his glasses.

"He came down with a temperature in the night, was fairly unwell this morning,"

"Did you tell Regis?"

"Yes, this morning," Ignis explained, with a slight nod. "I've been instructed to take care of Noct until further notice.."

" _Responsibilities_..." Gladio murmured.

The advisor sighed, again.

"Indeed."

Gladio took a step back, pulling the advisor by the hand away from the locker.

"We don't have to train if you need to be elsewhere."

"I want to."

"You sure?"

"Of course."

"Well we can do some sparring until half past, then cool off in the shower if you want, your call."

" _Cool off in the shower_?"

"Yeah," Gladio replied bluntly, thinking little of his choice of words.

"Sounds promising."

He smiled slightly, and allowed himself to be lead out of the changing rooms and into the training hall.

As Gladio had promised, they sparred for the full thirty minutes, today's focus on the use of polearms. Ignis had improved since he had first started using them a year ago, however he felt it was obvious that Gladio was choosing to go easy on him today. The man had assumed he was tired - which he was - and acted accordingly.

He decided not to question it, a little annoyed but taking some sort of pleasure from throwing the much larger man across the room several times.

Despite Ignis's concern, Gladiolus was nonetheless remarked at the improved strength of the advisor, a little taken aback the third time he came to land on his back.

He sat up slowly, the breath knocked out of him. The advisor, weapon in hand, looming over.

"You gonna help me up?"

"I will when you stop playing the fool."

Gladio frowned, put off by the stern expression on his lovers face.

"Kick a man when he's down..."

Ignis thrust a hand at him, which Gladio gratefully took, pulling him up off the floor.

"That's what you should be doing." The advisor spoke, pushing his glasses a little further onto his face.

"You looked tired, specs."

"So you always say."

The shield smirked, shaking his head slightly.

"Well then, I guess it's time to cool off..."

Ignis nodded, feigning little reaction. He followed him back to the changing rooms without so much as a word - both men were trying to get their breath back. They returned their weapons to the storage, retrieved their towels from the lockers and proceeded into the showers.

The room itself had a row of sinks and mirrors with individual shower units opposite, each unit curtained off to maintain the privacy of the few women who also used the facility.

Gladio proceeded into the nearest shower unit, pulling back the curtain.

"We got the whole place to ourselves..."

"Indeed we do,"

Gladio jumped a little, not expecting Ignis to have followed him into the same shower unit.

" _Who's doing the sneaking now?_ "

"Hardly sneaking when we came in here together, alone."

"Fancy saving some water do you?" Gladio asked frankly, raising an eyebrow.

The shield tensed up as he felt his younger lover close the gap between them and press his mouth forcefully against his.

"Wait a minute..." Gladio spoke, pushing the advisor away gently. "Curtain..."

He pulled it across for privacy, turning back to face the man at his side. He returned the kissed he had briefly received only moments earlier, removing Ignis's glasses and placing them carefully on the side out of harms way.

Both were still dressed, if a little damp from the exercise and the humidity of the shower room.

"I never thought of you as a shower room kind of guy..."

Ignis frowned, pushing the taller man back against the tiled wall.

"Don't get used to it."

Gladio leaned in to kiss him, silencing him momentarily. He pushed the advisor backwards, or at least tried to, not expecting to be met with some resistance.

He took the opportunity to remove Ignis's tshirt, along with his own, hanging them up on a small metal hook for such items. Off guard he was able to thrust his smaller lover against the wall, kissing down his jaw and over his neck. He was met with a small, unexpected gasp, the advisor a little dizzied as his head collided with the wall behind him.

"Such a pity you didn't put this much effort in with your attack.." Ignis murmured, eyes closing as the man trailed kisses over his neck.

He felt the shields gentle kisses turn to teeth, a little bite to send him wincing.

"I won't go easy on you." He heard the shield reply, feeling his stronger hands grip his arms tightly.

"I'll believe it when I see it."

###

The prince found himself out of bed again.

This time he had not ventured far, eyes set on Ignis's chest of drawers. In particular, the drawer which contained the medical supplies.

His temperature had taken a dip for the worst, the room shifted under his feet and sent him tumbling to the floor. The bruise that blackened against his side burned intensely.

On hands and knees he dragged himself over to the drawers, hoping he would be able to grab another potion and make it back into bed without throwing up or worse.

At the foot of the bed and just out of reach of what he needed, he laid down, just to steady himself until the room stopped spinning.

It was an impossible task.

He shivered uncontrollably and pulled the duvet off the bed, wrapping it weakly around his trembling frame.

 _It was just for a few moments_ , he told himself, _until he felt a bit better._

Noct closed his eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

* * *

The icy cold sting of water roused the advisor from the affects of post-coital bliss, taking a little longer than usual to warm up. He showered quickly, along with the shield, well aware that time was creeping up on them. The pair spoke very little - the reality that someone could walk in and hear them together having a very real and sobering effect.

Ignis left first, towel around his waist and damp clothes in hand, checking that no one had entered the shower block without them realising. He checked his appearance at the mirror over the sink, face to face with a very wet, spectacle-free Ignis. He swept his hair back from his face, noting that he looked a little flushed despite the coldness of the shower. _Not a wonderful sight_ , he thought hesitantly, turning as he heard the sound of water stop and the curtain pulled back.

Gladio shortly followed, handing the forgotten pair of glasses over to the man at the sink.

"Thank you,"

"It's not like you to forget.." the taller man noted, studying the unusually bare face of the man at his side.

Gladio smiled, enjoying the slight blush on his lovers face.

"Must be nerves." Ignis replied tearing his eyes away, disappointed that his glasses were steamed up.

"You've got nothing to be nervous about," Gladio said, calmly. "Well, besides that hicky on your neck..."

He smirked at the abrupt reaction of the advisor, checking himself at the mirror.

"I'm kidding."

Ignis exhaled uncomfortably, a small smile gracing the corners of his lips. The blush on his skin worsened.

" _Bastard_."

Gladio placed a hand on the smaller mans shoulder, comfortingly.

"Come on, we better get a move on if we wanna make it back by noon,"

"We?"

"Thought I'd give you some company now that you have been promoted to _royal babysitter_."

Ignis frowned, his face appearing less serious without spectacles.

"How rude."

"You don't want someone to talk to after you put Noct to bed?"

"It's no laughing matter." The advisor replied, a little blunter than he had meant to. "I have barely had an hour of sleep."

"I'm not laughing," Gladio retorted, leading the pair back to the changing room.

"Good."

The shield swallowed uncomfortably, aware he had hit a nerve with the rather tired and slightly stressed out advisor. He held the door open for him and led him back to the dryness of the changing room, several other people now present and talking among themselves. The pair made their way over to their separate lockers to retrieve their clothing and dressed, avoiding eye contact beside a nod of greeting to the others who were using the room.

Ignis took a moment to clean the steam off his glasses and return them to his face. By the time he had finished dressing and making himself appear acceptable, Gladio had disappeared. With the enhanced vision of his newly reapplied glasses, he looked around for him to no such luck and left the building.

Gladio was waiting for him outside, a can of unopened Ebony in hand.

"Thought this would cheer you up."

He thrust the small gift at the advisor, a little mechanically. Ignis smiled.

"Thank you, Gladio."

The shield placed a hand on the small of Ignis's back.

"I'll walk you back, if you like."

"Don't you feel like helping out with royal babysitting duties?"

Gladio smiled to himself.

"Only if you want me there," he replied, leading the pair in the direction of the apartment block in the grounds of the citadel. "Don't want to step on your toes, Iggy."

"Well then," Ignis smiled. "Your company is very welcome."

"Thanks."

The pair made their way to the apartment block, a short distance from the training building. It was a purpose built annex to the citadel itself, designed for the prince and several staff members to be on site at all times. Noctis had only lived here for the last 12 months, along with Ignis and several other staff. It had been difficult getting the King's permission for the prince to live separate from the citadel and this had been a sort of compromise. Prompto spent a great deal of time here with Noct and it appeared to be a good decision so far. The prince seemed happy to say the least with his new found independence - even if Ignis did much of the tidying up after him.

Gladiolus on the other hand had rarely stepped foot in the apartment block. Unfortunately he had yet to be invited to stay for the night with Ignis. It wasn't that Ignis didn't want him to stay over; it was more the problem of making sure Noctis and Prompto didn't burn the place down when they attempted to cook or supervising any late night parties they spontaneously decided to throw. It was hard work for the advisor even without the prospect of entertaining a guest.

In response, the advisor and the shield spent their time together elsewhere - Gladio's place was more than ideal. They enjoyed the privacy and the fact that they were _usually_ undisturbed by the prince wanting some sort of attention or someone to cook for them.

 _Unfortunately today would be quite different_ , Gladio had thought, _any hope of some alone time gone with the shower they had earlier_.

They walked the short distance from the training building and came to greet the guard on the doorstep to the apartment building. Ignis swiped his ID and they made their way inside.

"I wonder if Prompto's caught on that the prince is at home today." Gladio spoke, following the advisor up the flight of stairs from the entrance hallway.

"If he had, I can assure you it wouldn't be this quiet." Ignis replied. "They can be quite problematic when there's no one around to supervise."

" _And that's where Ignis comes in_ ," Gladio murmured.

"Correct."

They passed the first floor where several other staff members were living and climbed the stairs to the second floor where, from memory, Gladio knew both the prince and Ignis had been living the past 12 months. As a compromise agreed by the King, it was hardly Noct's idea of independence but a start. _The boy could barely dress himself let alone cook or clean_ , Gladio thought, looking to the advisor who stared ahead unaware of the shield's eyes upon him.

The man in question lead them straight past the kitchen and dining room, immaculate as it was vast in appearance, likely because the prince was still in bed and not around to undo Ignis's hard work. They came to Noct's bedroom door, Gladio pausing momentarily until he noticed the other man kept walking. He frowned in confusion, not wishing to be left behind and followed to the next door. This door he knew of by sight when he had been invited to visit but had never stepped foot in.

"Did you guys swap rooms or something?"

Ignis sighed, rubbing his eyes under his glasses.

"Not quite." He explained, hand on the doorknob. "I had a midnight visitor and this is where he ended up."

"You let Noct sleep in your bed?" Gladio asked, watching as the door opened.

"That was not the intention."

The sight that greeted them put a stop to conversation. It appeared that the prince was missing from the room altogether.

The duvet had been pulled clean off the bed whilst a drawer had been left half open from the chest against the wall, presumably responsible for the several unused potions scattered about the floor itself.

"What the hell..." Gladio took a step ahead of the man at his side, eyes intent on the mass of duvet at his feet.

Amongst the tiny chaos in the usually immaculate room of the advisor, a body lay at the foot of the bed wrapped tightly in the discarded duvet.

"Oh..."

Ignis felt something inside him churn and twist uncomfortably, a sort of painful, unstoppable cramp as his brain caught up with his eyes.

He heard the shield say something urgently at his side, words he didn't entirely decipher in the chaos of his thoughts at that moment. The presence of the man at his side and the tone of his voice alerted the advisor into action, forcing him to take the few steps to the pitiful heap on his bedroom floor.

Gladio followed closely, unsure but supportive of the man at his side, both advisor and shield crouching down to slowly and carefully pull back the duvet.

The prince lay on his front, unmoving and still.

"Your highness.." Ignis spoke, his voice shaken and giving away the concern beneath his controlled composure.

It made Gladio nervous to hear the younger man speak so formally and urgently, poles apart from his usual calm and collected manner. He watched as the advisor gently shook the boy, calling to him a second and third time when he refused to stir.

"Is he breathing?"

"Yes, I think so," Ignis replied, stifling all urge to panic.

"Are you sure?"

"Help me move him..."

Gladio pulled the duvet back a little further, helping the advisor to force the prince onto his side. Their actions were met with sleepy retaliation.

" _Get off me_."

The shield breathed a sigh of relief at the sleepy and rather grumpy request of the prince.

The boy winced at the sudden light and the gentle touch, shielding his face with his arm. He shivered despite the cold sweat that covered his skin, fighting weakly against the advisor who had dared to disturb his sleep.

"Temper..."

"Go away."

Ignis ignored the princes request and instead reached for one of the discarded potions nearby, cracking it over the prince.

Noctis stilled, exhaling with the slight relief the potion brought.

"That should tide you over for now..." Ignis replied, adjusting his glasses. "What on earth are you doing sleeping on the floor?"

"Needed a potion..."

The advisor sighed, frustratedly.

"I told you to call me if you felt any worse," Ignis scolded the boy.

"Can you move?" Gladio asked, Noct opening his eyes in confusion at the shields presence.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here?"

"I'll take that as a no then." He replied gruffly, pulling back the duvet completely. "Back to bed we go..."

Gladio scooped the prince up into his arms, without the struggle the advisor had endured that morning, and carried him over to the bed. He half expected some resistance from Noct, as he had experienced already, however none came.

"Don't expect this kind of treatment on tap,"

Noct rolled his eyes, sighing with relief at the comfort of the mattress beneath him.

"Not everybody dreams of being carried around by a guy like you..." Noct spoke, frowning.

"So much for _thank you, Gladiolus_."

He felt Ignis brush past him with the duvet, returning it to the bed. Despite his best efforts to stabilise the situation, the advisor appeared positively shaken from the ordeal of finding the prince out of sorts on his bedroom floor. It was unlike him and it only served to make the shield nervous.

"Are you comfortable?" Ignis asked, frowning with concern.

"Better now I'm dosed up..."

Gladio watched the boy sit up a little, wincing slightly as he moved.

"I will have to get you something stronger.." Ignis replied.

"This damn bruise from yesterday isn't helping." Noct complained, struggling to get comfortable.

"That's what happens when you land on your ass..."

Noct exhaled a little furiously, glaring at the taller man by the bedside.

" _Why_ did you bring him here, specs?"

"I told him you were unwell," Ignis replied, sitting down on the bed at the prince's side. "He was worried about you."

Noctis frowned at the shield, who had sat himself in the arm chair at the side of the bed. His eyes lay forward, calm and thoughtful, studying the advisor opposite. He noticed their legs very slightly touched.

His attention was drawn away by the touch of a hand on his forehead, the mess of his hair swept back from his face.

The advisor took a moment to check the boys temperature.

Gladio watched him.

"You're rather chilled," Ignis spoke, eyes narrowing with thought. "Despite medication..."

"Uh huh."

"I'd say it's time we called for a doctor,"

Noctis groaned.

"No.."

"Your condition has not improved," Ignis interrupted, adjusting his glasses. "I wouldn't hesitate to say it has considerably worsened in the few hours I have been gone."

"If you call the doctor you'll have to call my dad,"

Ignis paused thoughtfully, studying the boy's expression.

"Is that a threat?"

Noct sighed, closing his eyes momentarily.

"No, Ignis,"

"Well then," the advisor continued. "I had the chance to speak with him this morning."

"Great.."

"I made him aware of your condition," he explained, calmly ignoring the eye rolling. "He requested that I take care of you and keep him _well informed_."

"I _hate_ it when he worries."

"He'll only worry more if I don't take appropriate care of you," Ignis replied, placing a reassuring hand on the boy's arm.

Noct exhaled, annoyed to say the least.

"Can I go see him?"

"When you are a little better,"

He shrugged himself away from the gentle touch of the advisor, frustration threatening to boil over.

"Don't be a _brat_." Gladio suddenly spoke, in his usual tone when the boy was being difficult.

"Seriously why did you bring him here?" Noctis huffed, glaring at his advisor.

Ignis sighed.

"Moral support, perhaps,"

Noct opened his mouth to retaliate, poised with a vengeance, when he was cut off by a sharp look from the shield.

"Perhaps the prince is hungry." Gladio suggested, narrowing his eyes at the boy.

"I'm not hungry."

"You're sure as hell acting like you are.."

Noct paused, exhausted and weak from illness and yet fingers inching to throttle the shield.

"I don't want to eat."

"Are you sure?" Ignis asked, tilting his head slightly. "I suspect you might enjoy some Tenebraen pastries..."

"Your take on them?"

"But of course." Ignis replied, calmly. "I have just enough ulwaat berries for the three of us..."

He looked to Gladio and to the prince for approval.

"You're very welcome to stay, so long as the prince has no further objections."

Noctis sighed a little abruptly, laying back against the pillows.

"Do whatever you like."

Ignis paused, thoughtfully, and got up from the bed.

"Well then." He said quietly, looking to the shield who stared elsewhere.

"Hey Iggy what the hell happened to your wall?" Gladio asked, eyes intent on the giant split in the wallpaper.

The prince smiled and did not hesitate to answer on behalf of his advisor.

"Ignis tried to murder me."

Gladio looked to the man standing at his side, face a little flushed.

"Thank you, Noct."

"I'm not surprised."

##

Out in the Weaverwilds, the sun beat down on the sand and the rock. It was a desolate place, unsuitable and uncomfortable for the living.

A unit of magitek soldiers made their way along the path to the main road. With them they pulled a large metal trunk.

It didn't take them long to reach the edge of Hammerhead, an ideal target. It was far away enough from the city of Insomnia to have little enough protection, but still close enough to cause havoc and unrest for the King.

They came to a halt in the main road, several cars slowing down as they came to meet them. One of the cars beeped, annoyed.

Several moments of silence passed, the air tense. A man leaned out of the window of his car.

He watched as the magitek unit unleashed the contents of the metal trunk and was shortly ripped to shreds by daemons.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

* * *

As expected, the Tenebraen pastries went down a treat.

Ignis had made sure to bake an appropriately large batch for the three of them, knowing full well that both Gladio and Noctis were particularly fond of his desserts.

The shield had enjoyed watching him cook, amused to see the advisor so serious and thoughtful. He made sure each pastry was perfectly finished with an appropriately sized dash of icing sugar and a serving of ulwaat berry compote - hardly Ignis's usual choice for a nutritious, healthy meal - but a start.

A member of staff had brought Noctis some breakfast, but apart from that the prince had eaten very little. Ignis wouldn't normally let the prince fill up on sweet dishes but in this instance he was concerned with him having at least a little energy. After all, it was the very thing the advisor found himself to be lacking.

Much to Gladio's concern, he had discovered that Ignis had himself eaten very little, too busy managing his work and caring for the prince. Such responsibilities played havoc on his appetite despite the shield forcing him to eat something.

Nonetheless the cooking worked well as an intended distraction, Noctis finding himself too loved up on the food to notice that a Doctor had been called.

Ignis had even allowed him to remain in bed, bringing him the pastries on a tray with appropriate silver cutlery and some tea. It had been a source of amusement for the shield to say the least, surprised that the prince had not become suspicious at receiving such treatment.

To the relief of the increasingly tired advisor, it didn't take long for the Doctor to arrive, sent in and escorted by the guards at the door.

Ignis recognised him immediately as the King's physician, a serious, straightforward individual with a dark leather briefcase and stethoscope around his neck. _Regis must have sent him_ , he thought a little nervously.

"Good evening."

"Thank you for coming so quickly." The advisor replied, dismissing the guards with a nod of acknowledgement.

Both shield and advisor lead the older man along the corridor to the bedroom, uneasy at the prospect of the unsuspecting prince.

"His majesty was quite concerned," the Doctor explained. "Am I to understand that the prince has a fever?"

"Yes, since last night."

What are the current symptoms?"

"A temperature and dizziness, he was quite sick this morning," the advisor explained, lowering his voice as the three men came to the bedroom door. "I have treated him with several potions but there appears to be no immediate recovery."

The Doctor nodded, eyes studying the door as they stood beside it.

"Is his highness awake?"

"Yes, however..." Ignis replied, cautiously. "I did not inform him of your appointment."

The Doctor nodded, briefly catching a glance from the shield who said very little but loomed over.

"I think I understand." He said, quieter this time.

Ignis adjusted his glasses, a little nervous. He hoped no one had noticed, but of course, _Gladio had noticed_.

"I have treated the prince before," the Doctor continued, sighing slightly. "Some years back."

"The prince can be difficult." Gladio suddenly spoke up.

"Yes, quite." The Doctor replied, as serious as ever. "I remember well."

Gladio nodded, looking to the shield at his side.

"Don't think that I'm abandoning you, but..."

"Where are you going?"

"Nowhere." the shield said, calmly. "I'll wait outside."

Ignis frowned, mouth open to speak but without words.

"I think my presence in this instance will only rile the prince..."

Ignis exhaled to himself, knowing full well Gladio was correct. He felt the Doctors eyes upon him.

"You are welcome to leave me to it, if you so wish." The Doctor suggested.

"Thank you but that won't be necessary," Ignis replied with polite dread.

Gladio smiled, and placed a reassuring hand on the advisors shoulder. Ignis looked to the amber eyes at his side, feeling a little lost at the prospect of dealing with an unruly prince alone in the presence of the King's physician. Gladio released his hold on him.

With a final, slightly anxious glance, Ignis pulled himself together and twisted the doorknob, gesturing to the Doctor to follow without so much as a word.

The prince was sat up in bed, propped up comfortably by an array of pillows with the final pastry in one hand.

It took him a moment to look up, focused busily on eating and drinking tea. He looked the perfect picture of calm in this moment - _a shame to spoil it_ , Ignis thought.

"Hey."

"Your highness."

Noctis frowned at the sudden formalities of his advisor and friend, looking up at him as he entered the room. He blinked hard, uncomfortable with such formalities and went to open his mouth to remind him _it was Noct, not highness..._

A second figure came in through the doorway - not Gladiolus - someone else, someone who frightened him considerably more than the shield.

He paused, mind going into an uncomfortable spasm.

"You have a visitor.."

Noct said nothing, moving only to place the half eaten pastry back down on his plate, his stomach suddenly doing somersaults inside of him. The door shut softly behind them.

"Prince Noctis,"

Noct swallowed, uncomfortable at the nostalgic sound of the Doctor's voice. He knew this man well, too well in fact, despite his brains attempt to block out all memory of him and the pain that came with such _memories_. He looked to his advisor, who walked to his side and wordlessly removed the tray from his lap, placing it elsewhere on the bedside table. _Of course_ , he thought furiously, _it had been a well planned, delicious ploy_...

"Ignis..."

"How are you feeling today?"

"Uh..."

The Doctor ignored the tone of boy's seeming distress and took no time in approaching the opposite bedside. He placed the briefcase on the armchair. Ignis stood by, feigning a sort of calmness. He hoped his presence would reassure the prince. To Noct, he appeared utterly expressionless - all the more Magitek.

"Your advisor tells me you are rather unwell."

Noct returned his attention to the intruder, caught off guard momentarily. The Doctors words resounded in his head, a delayed reaction. He nodded, hesitantly.

"It's been quite some time since our last appointment." The Doctor said, standing at the boy's side. "I believe you were 12 the last time I saw you."

Ignis tore his line of sight away from the uncomfortable expression of the prince to meet the Doctor; _a face he knew better than first thought_ , having recognised him as more than just the King's physician. This had been the man to treat Noct as a child following his life threatening injury from the Marilith.

"You must be near enough 18 years old,"

Noctis exhaled to himself, anxiously. He watched the Doctor place the briefcase at the side of the armchair before sitting down at the bedside.

"Your arm, please, your highness,"

With reluctance the prince adhered, allowing the older man to check his pulse.

Ignis watched closely, Noct no longer choosing to point death stares in his direction, but instead at the man measuring his pulse. The Doctor appeared not to notice.

"Thank you," the Doctor murmured, comparing each passing beat to the second hand on his watch. "Now if you will, please unbutton your shirt."

"Why?"

"To check your heartbeat."

Again, the boy hesitated, pressured into obedience. He dreaded to think of his father concerned and worried, a reflection of the last time he had encountered this man. He took a moment to adjust the slightly difficult buttons on his pyjama shirt, trying to put all thoughts of his father out of his head.

The Doctor pressed the end of the stethoscope just inside the opening of the shirt against his chest, and listened. He waited longer this time, frowning a little harder than before. He briefly looked up to the advisor, aware of the man watching profusely.

"As I thought, heartbeat is mildly raised," he repeated, to the advisor. "With some irregularity..."

Ignis paused, brows furrowed in thought.

"What does that mean?" Noctis asked abruptly.

The Doctor sighed, gathering his patience as he briefly met the eyes of the prince.

"Could be a number of things, possible infection, a virus," the Doctor suggested, retrieving the stethoscope. "Please lie back."

Noct paused uncomfortably, eyes looking to his advisor standing on the opposite side of the bed, seeking some sort of childish reassurance. Ignis gave him a brief nod of approval and watched the prince lie back obediently.

Afraid of the racing heart in his chest beating hard against his will, he froze as the Doctor loomed over, a small torch at hand from the briefcase. He waited until Noct was comfortable with his head against the pillow.

"If you can look at the wall behind me please," he spoke softer now, shining the light carefully into his eyes.

Ignis watched on, intently.

"Are you suffering from headaches? Migraine?"

"Yes,"

The Doctor nodded, adjusting the angle of the light.

"Pupils are dilated," he spoke, presumably to the advisor. "A little more so than I would expect with a normal fever..."

He pulled back from his grip on the prince to retrieve something from his briefcase.

"I am to understand your advisor has given you some potion medication. Is that correct?"

"Yes." Noct spoke briefly, watching the man return from his briefcase with a thermometer.

"And for how long did they provide some sort of relief?"

"Uh, an hour or so." He replied, frightened eyes intent on the thermometer looming closer. "Maybe more..."

The Doctor gestured for the boy to open his mouth, before placing the sensor gently in under his tongue.

"This will only take a moment." He explained, turning his attention back to the advisor. "Have you checked the potions are in date?"

"One moment.."

Ignis walked over to his chest of drawers, retrieving the few he had left. He was aware they had a long shelf life, several years in fact, having only bought them few mere weeks before. _A clutch at straws_ , he thought silently to himself. He checked the little numbers printed on the side of one, and then another.

"I have just under two years left on this batch." He replied, eyes intent on the date. "22 months to be precise."

The Doctor nodded, expressionless and thinking.

"It's unusual for a brand new potion to fail." He replied, the thermometer beeping suddenly. "If of course they have failed at all."

He carefully removed it from the boy's mouth.

"39 degrees." He informed them both. "It's no surprise you feel unwell."

Noctis looked to his advisor, studying the serious intensity on his face. It made him nervous.

"Is that bad?" Noct asked, resting his head back against the pillow as a wave of dizziness washed over him.

The Doctor ignored the boy.

"You have a high fever, Noctis." Ignis spoke, calmer than his expression let on.

"May I suggest a blood test is taken," the Doctor suggested to the advisor. "As soon as possible, to be safe."

"Of course." Ignis responded, returning his stare to the prince.

"This may take some time, I'll need to take a few vials for testing,"

"Very well."

Noct froze, blinking a little harder than normal.

"Don't answer for me."

Ignis raised an eyebrow.

"Pardon?"

The prince narrowed his eyes in return of the advisors stare.

"I said, _don't answer for me_ ," he replied, sharper this time. "Ignis."

The man in question sighed inwardly, adjusting his glasses out of nervous habit. He took a moment to think carefully about a response, aware of the little nuances the prince had in times of distress. He had after all, gone as white as a sheet at the instance of a needle.

"Would you like something else to eat, or drink, your highness?" He offered, attempting to distract the boy from the sharp object looming in the background.

"No." The prince blurted out, watching the Doctor retrieve something else from the dreaded briefcase.

"Are you sure?"

"Uh..." he replied, his voice wavering. "No,"

Ignis frowned, pausing to think momentarily. The boy appeared to tremble slightly.

"Ignis,"

"Yes your highness."

"Could you, please..."

"Would you like me to go?"

"No, don't." He said abruptly. "Don't do that."

The Doctor retrieved a needle and several vials, portraying an indifference to the trauma taking place at his side.

"You will need to remove your shirt, your highness." The Doctor spoke, unaffected. "I need access to your arm,"

Noct paused, seemingly for good this time.

"Uh..."

"It won't hurt particularly but you may feel dizzy afterwards," he continued, nonchalantly. "I'll need to fill several vials,"

A terrifying dizziness threatened to overwhelm the prince, until of course, his advisor sat down on the bed at his side.

"Noctis is not fond of needles."

The Doctor sighed, a little callously for the advisors taste.

"Yes I quite remember." He uttered, removing the cover for the needle. "His highness had to have rather a few the last time we had an appointment.."

Noct shivered at the memory, dizzied and sickened at the mere thought. He felt his advisor place a reassuring squeeze on his arm.

"Noctis."

He slowly met the comforting gaze of his advisor.

"Your shirt,"

The prince nodded, frozen to the spot. He forced himself into action, attempting to finish unbuttoning it from earlier but to no avail. He trembled, his fingers stiff with fear and fumbling over the tiniest motion of movement.

"Would you like some help?"

He paused, sort of feeling himself nod without much thought or consideration. He sat up slightly from his position against the pillows, shaken to say the least, allowing his advisor to unbutton the remaining buttons on his pyjama shirt.

Neither party spoke, the advisor a little concerned by the paler shade of white the boy had turned upon sight of the needle. He quietly unbuttoned the shirt down over his stomach, slipping it carefully off his shoulders. It felt rather awkward, not to be watched but to be in the motion of undressing another person, particularly after having spent the night together in his bed.

He avoided the stare of the prince, focusing his own eyes elsewhere. His gaze fell over the slim, pale arms and his exposed chest, a pair of blue eyes staring over his shoulder anxiously. Ignis removed the shirt, slipping it down to his waist along with the duvet. He caught sight of a dark, yellowing bruise plastered down his side, pausing uncomfortably at its sudden appearance.

"However did you get a bruise like that?" The Doctor spoke first, noticing the blemish.

Noct swallowed uncomfortably.

"Training."

The Doctor leaned closer, needle in hand and eyes on the bruise to the boy's side.

"How long have you had that?"

Noct hesitated - he didn't want to drop Gladio in any sort of trouble for taking him out of the city to fight daemons and all sorts. He was certain both his father and Ignis would be furious, even more so the latter.

"Since yesterday." The advisor spoke for him, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose.

The Doctor frowned, placing the needle down onto the briefcase for a moment.

He placed a gentle hand on the princes side, prodding the area as carefully as he could in the short amount of time before Noct reacted, wincing and pushing the hand away.

"Does that hurt?"

" _Fuck_ of course it does..." Noctis spoke abruptly, shockwaves of pain residing even after the hand had been removed.

"Is that the only one you have on your body?"

The prince sighed, attempting to pull himself together.

"Yeah...I think so."

The Doctor looked to the advisor, cautiously.

"I suggest you keep an eye on that," he spoke, sincerely. "Please inform me should that get any worse or spread."

He retrieved the needle from its momentary resting place on the briefcase.

"I'll take a blood test today, and I will let you know the results within 48 hours." He explained, turning his stare to the bruise once again. "Any nasties will show up in the tests, including _that_ , if it's a cause for concern..."

Ignis nodded.

"And what will you have me treat the prince with until then?" The advisor asked, aware of the set of slightly pained, blue eyes studying him carefully.

"Elixir, twice a day."

##

Gladio checked on the prince, concluding for the second or third time in as many hours that Noct was ok. He thought he had heard something, concerned Noct had got out of bed and was causing trouble again, but upon inspection he found nothing to indicate anything was wrong. The boy was fast asleep, tucked up in Ignis's warm bed as the shield and the advisor had left him several hours ago.

It had taken Noct quite some time to eventually fall asleep, his phone glued to his side. He seemed to get withdrawal symptoms when apart from Prompto and the real world, despite having been ill for only a total of 24 hours.

Gladio had acquired some patience for him at least, a fraction of what the advisor had, but enough to stay put for the night. He did all the things he knew Ignis would do - made sure the prince was comfortable in his bed, not on the floor, still breathing and not sneaking Prompto in through the window. It was a relief to tick all the boxes.

He shut the door to the bedroom as softly as he could on his way out. Hoping that he wouldn't be disturbed by the prince again, he gave up on the documentary he had been watching in the living area and made his way to the guest bedroom down the hallway.

Gladio had persuaded the advisor to have a rest, assuring him he would keep an eye on Noct. Ignis was not one for _resting_ as such - he had been awake and working on some reports every single time the shield had walked past the open door to the bedroom.

This time however was different, the door half open and the bedside light still on, but the advisor now very much asleep.

Gladio paused in the doorway, studying the man who slept on top of the covers, fully dressed with a report on the pillow beside him. He smiled, a little taken aback to find his lover asleep for a change. As quietly as he could he walked in and shut the door behind him, careful not to wake Ignis.

He approached the bedside, perching on the edge of the bed. The advisor lay on his back, legs crossed and head tilted toward the reports next to him on the pillow. He was still in his clothes with his glasses firmly attached to his face, if a little skewed to one side. _Ignis would not be particularly happy if he managed to damage them in his sleep_ , Gladio thought, gently removing them and placing them on the bedside table.

The shield studied the face of the advisor, calm and without the intensity of continuous, calculating thought. Ignis looked quite different without his spectacles, a little less studious but handsome all the same. In all the years Gladio had known him, he was sure he could count on one hand how many times he had seen the advisor truly asleep. It was a rare encounter indeed.

The shield pondered the thought, carefully removing the papers from the pillow and reaching over to switch off the lamp on the bedside table.

Despite his best efforts, the clicking of the light seemed to jolt the advisor into action.

Ignis blinked a little nervously, eyes intent on the silhouette sitting at his side in the darkness.

" _Highness_?"

Gladio hesitated, placing a reassuring hand on the arm of the advisor as he stirred.

"It's me," he whispered. "Sorry, I didn't mean to wake you."

"Gladio.."

Ignis sat up slightly on his elbows, eyes narrowed at the man by his side. _His vision had never been very strong in the dark_ , the shield thought protectively.

"What time is it?" The advisor asked sleepily, rubbing his tired eyes as they adjusted to the darkness.

"Just past 11," Gladio replied, quietly.

He watched the younger man reach for the glasses he correctly presumed to be at his side with his papers.

"I thought you were Noct..." Ignis spoke, exhaling slightly from tiredness.

"Just me, I'm afraid..."

"How is he?"

"He's fine, he's asleep," the shield reassured. "I just checked on him."

Ignis sighed with somewhat relief, the brief panic and guilt he had felt for falling asleep quickly faded into the backdrop of his mind.

"Thank you..."

He sat up fully, realising he was still dressed and a little cold from the lack of duvet. _Clothes are likely be creased_ , he thought, much to his annoyance.

"Will you be staying the night?"

"Of course," Gladio replied. "I'll stay as long as you need me."

"You'll need quite a lot of patience.."

"I'll try."

"Much appreciated." Ignis spoke politely, despite the sleepiness in his voice. "I'm very grateful for you being here."

"Like I said, I'll stay as long as you need me, Ignis."

The advisor nodded, a hint of a smile gracing his face just briefly before fading away.

"The sooner we get the test results back, the better," the younger man informed, stifling a yawn. "Regis will only worry."

"Did you call him?"

"I tried, I could only reach his secretary," Ignis replied. "I trust that they will pass on the message but I would rather know for myself that the King is aware."

"Seems a little strange, don't you think?" Gladio asked, frowning. "Knowing that Noct is unwell.."

Ignis sighed.

"I will try again tomorrow." He said. "I just hope that Noct's condition improves by morning."

Gladio nodded, squeezing the advisors hand at his side.

"We'll make sure of it." He replied, eyes studying the younger man. "If he's no better by tomorrow evening and the Doctor hasn't called, we'll take him to the hospital."

Ignis rubbed his tired eyes under his glasses.

"I hope it doesn't come to that.." he spoke, quieter this time.

"Well don't fret just yet..." Gladio assured him, concerned. "You've done all you can. You had the King's own physician marched down here to check up on him, what else can you do?"

The advisor sighed, seemingly for the umpteenth time.

"I am ultimately responsible, should anything happen to the prince."

"We won't let anything happen," the shield replied. "I won't leave his side. Nor yours."

Ignis nodded, feigning a small sense of reassurance.

"I am grateful for your assistance, Gladio."

Gladio smiled a little.

"You look like you need it..."

Ignis frowned, thoughtfully.

"Now, now.."

"Well its not like you to fall asleep," Gladio remarked, eyes intent on the slight dishevelled look of the advisor. "Not mid report at least.."

"Quite." He replied, with a sigh. "Let this be our little secret."

Gladio smiled, leaning a little closer to place a kiss on the advisor's mouth.

"Well, don't worry, I won't keep you awake any longer," The shield spoke, feeling the advisor sit up to reach him.

Ignis looked up to meet the amber eyes studying him closely.

"Where are you going?"

"To sleep."

"But where?"

"Noct's room?" He said with a shrug. "It's empty."

Ignis hesitated.

"Please stay."

Gladio paused.

"In here, with you?"

The advisor nodded, pushing his glasses a little further up the bridge of his nose.

"I sleep better," he explained, quietly. "In your company."

"Are you sure?"

"I am."

Gladio sighed, hesitating.

"There's more than enough room for the two of us." Ignis insisted, calmly. "And a lock on the door."

Gladio raised an eyebrow.

"In the mood for citadel sex are we?"

It was Ignis's turn to pause, tilting his head to the side as he pondered a response.

"I'd appreciate the gesture." He replied, in a matter of fact tone.

The shield sighed, again. He looked up to meet the eyes of the man at his side, intense with thought and seemingly a little bloodshot.

"You're tired, Iggy." Gladio spoke, lifting the advisors chin to place a small kiss.

He felt the younger man weaken under his grip, exhaustion setting in now that he had the shield reassuringly at his side, sharing the burden of responsibility.

"That may be the case, however," The advisor insisted, proceeding to pull the shield toward him, willing. "I'm quite fine."

Without much effort, Gladio took the advisor by the wrists as they had proceeded to pull him closer defiantly.

"You're a terrible liar."

Ignis frowned.

"Is that so?"

Gladiolus nodded, tightening the grip he held on the smaller wrists. He felt the advisor resist, only slightly.

"If it helps you relax," Gladio spoke, quieter now. "I will sleep in Noct's room."

"No," he replied, a little more abruptly than he had meant to. "There's no need."

"You seem anything but relaxed."

"I won't sleep at all if I am left to my own devices."

Gladio paused, his mouth open to speak. He thought better of it, reminding himself of the incomplete reports on the side table.

"As long as you're sure."

He gently loosened his grip on the advisor.

"Quite sure."

Gladio nodded, catching a glimpse of very serious, green eyes at his side glimmering in the darkness. The advisor watched him closely, just for a few moments longer than was usual.

Defiant of the shield's momentary reluctance, Ignis pulled him closer by the hand, gently and firmly at the same time, until their faces were mere centimetres apart.

As soon as he did so he paused suddenly, wanting to speak but somehow struggling to find the words he wanted to say. Gladiolus stared back in return, half expecting the man to say something witty and clever, unsure how to read his expression in the darkness.

"Something wrong?"

"No."

Gladio opened his mouth to speak and was cut off by the advisor who found it easier just to kiss him.

He paused, a little caught off guard by the smaller man. Despite the jolt of electricity the shield felt, he ignored the need to take control, concerned at just how tired his lover seemed despite willingness. He allowed himself to be led by the advisor, gentle but intent, a free hand finding its way into the shield's hair, pulling, gripping in the way that he liked.

Ignis was most definitely tired, exhausted even, and yet this felt far more comfortingly than sleep. Time alone with Gladiolus was rare, particularly when his schedule was utterly overloaded with work and the prince. Even by his slightly reclusive standards, it tended to leave him feeling quite isolated, if a little deprived of human contact that didn't involve tending to the prince.

"You surprised me earlier.."

Ignis frowned, cut off from his thoughts and the small kisses that had crept over his jaw. He felt the amber eyes on him, studying closely as they so often did.

"After training..." the shield continued, finally meeting the smaller mans gaze.

He moved a hand up to the top button of the advisors shirt, unfastening it.

"I see..." Ignis murmured, his heart picking up the pace. "Was it not to your liking?"

Gladio smirked quietly to himself, fingers intent on the second button. He refused to answer such a question, instead focusing on unbuttoning, slowly and deliberately.

"Gladiolus?"

"Yeah?"

"Care to elaborate?..."

Gladio sighed, a little distracted by his attempts to undress the man at his side.

"It was good."

Ignis paused, thoughtfully watching the hands removing his shirt at a very frustratingly slow pace.

"Good?"

"Mhmm."

"Well, I'm glad to hear it.."

Gladio nodded.

"I think I like you being spontaneous." He spoke, quieter now.

He paused his undressing of the advisor, gently stroking the bare skin inside the opening of the shirt.

"Well, I'll try to be more spontaneous in the future." Ignis replied, eyes downwardly focused on the hand against his chest. "If you can promise to up your game in training."

The shield finally looked up from his concentration.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes," the advisor spoke. "I'd like to be a bit more challenged..."

He felt Ignis move against him, pressing his mouth against his gently.

Gladio returned the gesture, one hand on the advisors shirt, the other leading over and around his waist.

He pulled away momentarily, enticingly close still.

"Am I not _challenging_ you enough?"

"Well, I didn't expect to beat you quite so easily."

Gladio pushed the younger man back against the pillow, gentle but intent.

"Say that again."

Ignis smiled to himself, staring up at the shield. He took a moment to adjust his glasses which had slipped from their position at the bridge of his nose.

"Say that again, _please_." The advisor informed him, in the special tone of voice he reserved for the prince.

"I don't know if you've realised yet but..." Gladio replied calmly, his hand managing to undo the last button of the advisors shirt. "I went easy on you."

Gladio watched the advisor think intently as his brain caught up with his mind, his shirt undone but left around his arms and shoulders.

"Petty excuses."

"You fight like the prince."

He felt the advisors eyes intent on him, burning holes through his skin in the darkness. Without much time to consider his words, the shield was pushed hard in the chest, the breath knocked out of him as he was rolled over and onto his back. He winced slightly as the smaller man used his weight against him, pinning him to the bed.

"Hey-"

"I assume that was supposed to be an insult..." the advisor murmured, digging his knee hard into the groin of the man beneath him. "A slightly treasonous insult, coming from the shield himself..."

Gladio sighed a little breathlessly, crushed under the strength of the man holding him.

"I'm not sure I'd go as far as treason, specs..."

He stared up, hands held down by the grip of his lover, who of course was staring straight back at him.

"...You're just not as strong as you think you are."

"Am I not?" Ignis questioned him, digging his knee a little deeper into the sensitive area.

"No, you're not." Gladio replied, wincing under the pressure of the man torturing him. "You just know my weak spots."

"Ah, yes." Ignis said, lowering himself a little closer to the face of the shield. "One might suggest that to be a strength in itself..."

He felt Gladio lean up as best as he could, despite restraint, to meet the mouth tantalising close to his. Ignis broke the small distance between them, gentle this time in his handling of the shield.

He carefully, _slowl_ y, released his grip on the man beneath him, using his free hand to cup the face just inches from his own. His knee remained in its threatening position, assurance in a moment of weakness.

Gladio permitted it, leaning in to the kisses that made their way over his jaw and down his throat, despite the knee resting against his groin.

"Ignis..."

"Yes?"

"Are you sure you're up to this?" He asked softly, closing his eyes.

He immediately regretted his words when he felt Ignis pull away.

"Would you like me to stop?"

Gladio sighed, reaching up to grasp the advisors arm gently.

"No, not at all, specs," Gladio replied, calmly. "I'm just aware that you're tired..."

He felt the hand on the side of his face reach up to clasp his chin.

"Please don't worry about me." Ignis replied, tilting the face in his grip up to his line of sight.

The shield frowned.

"Why the hell not?"

"Because I can take quite good care of myself." Ignis said, pressing a small kiss on the mouth opposite his own.

Gladio thought better than to question the words of a man with a knee strategically placed over his nether regions. However it didn't stop him sighing a little uncomfortably.

"If you say so, specs."

He felt Ignis return the kiss he had briefly started moments ago, cupping the shields face once more. This time it felt more urgent.

Gladio pulled the advisor closer, hands finding their way to his hips. He felt the younger man writhe against his touch, knee no longer in an awkward area but legs now entwined more comfortably.

"Promise me that you'll sleep after this?" Gladio asked a little breathlessly between kisses. "If you get sick, I'm going to have to take care of both of you..."

"Of course."

With some sort of reassurance, Gladio slipped the shirt he had previously unbuttoned down over the advisors arms and shoulders, allowing it to fall to his waist. He felt the older man stroke the bare skin, gentle, admiring. He said nothing, instead staring, rough hands leading downward over the softer skin to his stomach.

The advisor shivered slightly.

He felt the shield move upwards, shifting him along with his movements, placing kisses down over his neck and chest. It proved difficult not to react when he felt teeth nibble teasingly over a nipple, licking the surface until they became hard. The shield couldn't help but smile at the small gasp that escaped his lovers mouth as he did so.

He felt Ignis's hands upon him, willing himself to undress the older man beneath him, quicker, _much_ quicker than the shield had been with him. Ignis smiled to himself as he removed the shirt, pulled down by the shield to kiss him more urgently this time.

"In a hurry?" Gladio asked, cut off by the feel of a hand unbuckling his belt and zip.

The shield gasped at the feel of his clothes being yanked down over his hips and thighs, utterly exposed to the cold air of the room.

He felt the urge to order the man between his thighs to slow down, to stop even, until of course he felt the mouth of the advisor.

Fighting the impulse to stare, he closed his eyes, head arching back against the pillow. Despite already doing this once today he knew it would be a struggle to hold out for too long.

 _Staring only made it last a short while_ , he thought, from experience. Instead he focused on the chandelier hanging above the bed, its crystals twinkling even in the darkness.

It was proving difficult not to react to the feel of his lovers mouth pleasuring him. He tried desperately not to think and yet every movement in his lap triggered off shockwaves that ran down his spine and legs.

His hands made their way down, fingers running through the advisors hair and grasping tightly. He felt the man between his legs moan quietly, almost inaudibly against him, his deep voice reverberating over his skin. It only made the shield pull tighter on his hair, grasping at some pitiful leverage of control.

Against his brain willing him to slow down, he felt his lower half arch against the mattress of the bed, shuddering at the feel of the younger mans mouth taking him in completely. He couldn't help but watch this time.

"Slow down. Please."

Gripping tightly at the light brown hair, he fought terribly not to thrust against the movements of the advisor. He realised it was a losing battle.

"Ignis."

The man who's name rolled so easily off his tongue paused, knowing that _nearing_ tone in the older mans voice. Despite his own protest, the shields grip betrayed him. He held the advisor in place, continuing to thrust slowly into his mouth until hitting the back of his throat, unable to maintain any sort of control he usually held. Ignis winced, pained at the reaction. His eyes watered.

The shield finally released his hold at the sound of his lover choking beneath him. He allowed him to catch his breath.

"Sorry.."

Ignis shook his head, assuring the man that he was fine.

"You know, I didn't bring anything..." Gladio spoke, noticing the advisors glasses had steamed up a little.

Ignis paused, thoughtfully. His face appeared a little flushed.

"Pardon?" He asked, attempting to catch his breath.

"I don't have any condoms with me. Or anything else."

The advisor sighed, sitting up a little from his position.

"I'm afraid neither do I." He replied, still rather short of breath.

"Really?"

Ignis shook his head.

"We have never stayed in the citadel, together." The advisor stated, calmly. "So of course, I have nothing of the sort to hand."

It was Gladio's turn to hesitate. He swallowed a little nervously.

"What do you want to do?"

He watched Ignis adjust his glasses - typically still wearing them.

"Do you mind going without?"

Gladio hesitated once again.

"Are you sure?"

"Quite." Ignis replied, bluntly.

He watched the advisor sit up slightly to unbuckle his belt.

"I trust you implicitly."

It took the shield a moment to think, eyes drawn to the man undressing before him. His heart had started to beat a little faster.

"Glad to hear it, specs..."

He felt Ignis shift on the bed next to him, watching closely. Gladio had paused and he was sure it seemed a little odd. He nodded at the man beside him, thankful for the darkness covering the shade of red his face had turned.

Gladio forced himself into action, removing the remainder of his clothes as they clung around his thighs, throwing them aside.

He sat up from the position under Ignis's hold to kiss him. It was awkward to taste himself on the advisors mouth, not unpleasant as such, but awkward nonetheless. He slid one hand downward over the toned stomach of his lover, down to his lower half, tantalisingly slow. The younger man hardened instantly under his touch, a soft, almost inaudible moan escaping his lips.

Without much thought Gladio urged his lover backward against the sheets. The bed creaked beneath them, a subtle warning that they had to be quiet: _Noct was only a door or two down the hallway_.

He wasted no time in stroking him, nibbling gently down the younger man's neck as he did so. He felt the advisor writhe into his hand, eyes closed, glasses still intact. It made the shield smile to have his lover like this, completely and utterly engaged with him. Their time together was always sparsely laid out, their roles to the King and the prince taking central focus at all times. He knew the toll it had taken on himself, and of course, to Ignis, a man who gave everything and thought little of it. It was painful to watch at times, particularly when the advisor neglected himself for the sake of the prince and his every whim.

In turn Gladio tried at every opportunity to care for Ignis, an attempt to counteract the neglect he inflicted upon himself. The man didn't always make it easy.

His eyes remained closed behind his glasses, mouth open, soft little gasps warming the shields neck. Gladio turned to him, placing a gentle kiss against the advisors jaw.

"Are you sure you don't have anything at all?" The shield spoke, quieter this time.

"Gladio."

He paused at the urgency in his lovers voice.

"This will hurt if we don't use _anything_..."

Ignis opened his eyes.

"Ah."

"Yeah..."

A pair of green eyes turned to the direction of the bedside table a little hesitantly.

"There's some lotion in the drawer.." the advisor murmured, quietly.

The shield wasted no time in retrieving the bottle from the drawer at the bedside table, taking a moment to check for anything else.

"It's not the most ideal stuff but it will do..." Ignis said, watching the man at his side. "However there are definitely no condoms in that drawer..."

Gladio nodded, halting his search and shutting the drawer quietly. He returned to the side of the younger man.

"As long as you're still up for this." He replied, applying some lotion to his fingers. "Is this yours?"

"No,"

"I hope this doesn't belong to -"

"It's not Noct's either." Ignis insisted, rolling his eyes. "It's part of the guest room."

"Right." Gladio murmured, amused at the scent of strawberries. "It's nobody's then.."

"Precisely."

He returned to his position over the advisor, a hand stroking the hard length with greater pleasure.

"That's much better..."

"Quite..." Ignis said, a little shakily.

Gladio returned to kiss him, tongue gracing his own with increasing friction. His own hardness pressed ever greatly into the leg beneath it - he couldn't help but whimper quietly to himself.

He felt Ignis grip him suddenly, a sensation threatening to send him closer to the edge, prematurely. It was all he could do to bite his lower lip, focus all tension on something else. Somehow it worked, until he felt the man beneath him bite gently on his neck, the warmth of his lovers mouth tickling the skin.

"Ignis.."

"Yes?"

He felt the advisors hand creep over his hip.

"Stop." He spoke gruffly, much to the advisors pleasure.

Ignis sighed again, a little more frustrated this time.

"A little sensitive tonight, Gladio?"

The man in question ignored his teasing, instead pulling back.

"You seem to have forgotten that we usually only do this after a bottle of wine at my place..."

"There are those excuses again."

Gladio narrowed his eyes.

"On your front." He instructed, a hand firmly on the smaller man's thigh. "Now, please."

He urged the advisor to do so, despite the small laugh that came from his lovers mouth at the urgency in his command. Lotion in hand, he wasted no time in preparing them both, carefully. _It seemed odd not to wrap up_ , Gladio thought, hardening a little at the thought. They had never done this _without_ after all.

He took a moment to calm his nerves, overly aroused at the situation and fearing it, or rather he, would not last particularly long.

"We'll have to be quiet..." Ignis reminded him, a little more serious than before.

The shield nodded, mounting the smaller man waiting patiently on his hands and knees. He sighed at the feel of skin on skin, leaning over to place a gentle kiss on his shoulder.

"Tell me if I hurt you..."

"You won't."

He felt Ignis tense beneath him as he slipped slowly, gently inside, a small gasp from his own lips at the feel of his lover beneath him.

"Fuck..." the shield uttered, taking him carefully by the hip.

He waited a moment, closing his eyes and attempting to block out overpowering sensation that threatened to push him over the edge. His lover moved gently against him, biting his lower lip as the pain intensified with the lack of movement from the shield.

"Stop.."

Ignis did, reluctantly, but of course _it hurt to stop and stay so still_ , the advisor thought, and yet he did so anyway for Gladio. Whilst he had always been good at maintaining his composure, this always was the difficult part. Alcohol usually helped.

The shield took a moment to calm himself before continuing, slower this time, inch by inch. The advisor gripped the sheets of the bed, knuckles whitening, closing his eyes to block out any uncomfortable sensation.

He heard the older man exhale, hands gripping tightly onto his lover.

"Are you ok?" He whispered.

Ignis swallowed a little uncomfortably.

"Yes." He replied, wincing as he felt Gladio pull back.

The younger man breathed deeply, attempting to refocus all sensation. He gasped again at the feel of his older lover gently, slowly sliding in, and out.

The lotion helped to make this easier but of course, so did the alcohol they usually drank during their rare evenings together.

It took a few minutes for the pain to subside, discomfort continually eased by the slow movement of the shield. As the pain ebbed away, Ignis leaned on one elbow, a free hand making its way down to touch himself, hardening with increasing pleasure that had begun to drown out any other sensation.

Gladio picked up the pace a little, closing his eyes in an attempt to control the flow of adrenaline that pushed him closer and closer to the edge. He held the advisor by the hips, entering him over and over, fingers gripping tightly at the flesh until it whitened beneath. He felt the smaller man push back against him, adding to the overwhelm of the shield. He moaned at the feel of his lover beneath his grip, breathing ragged as he moved a little faster.

"You feel, wonderful..." He murmured, struggling to maintain himself in the silence of the building.

He heard the man beneath him laugh a little.

"Is it better without ?" Ignis asked, a little breathless.

"Its more intense..." Gladio replied under his breath, slamming harder into the man beneath him.

The advisor felt his grip on the bed slipping, his position faltering. Gladio continued, ruthlessly.

He enjoyed the stifled cries of the advisor, attempting desperately to remain quiet. Ignis bit his lower lip, struggling.

"I want to hear you..."

Gladio watched the advisor turn to look over his should briefly, a little flushed in the face.

"Don't be foolish..."

The older man said nothing, pushing his younger lover down against the sheets until he was smothered by the pillows.

"Gladio-"

Ignis gasped at the sudden movement, pained to be so crushed uncomfortably, his glasses skewed over his face. He tensed at the feel of his arm being pulled behind him, used as leverage to fuck him.

Gladio held it tightly- gripping until the skin whitened under his hands, thrusting hard against the man at his mercy. His mouth opened, panting with a hint of his voice. He utterly refused to let up the hurried, rough pace.

The advisor whimpered unwillingly into the sheets, his protest strangled quickly under the pleasure of the shield, dying away on his tongue despite his lack of control.

His arm twisted behind his back by the shield, he struggled to stroke himself as he had been doing, instead using his free arm to reduce the impact of being squashed into the pillow. His lower half throbbed; he was desperately close and yet held back from the edge by his inability to touch himself.

Against his wishes, Ignis groaned deeply, hoping, _praying_ that the walls would not carry such a sound. He trembled as the shield buried himself to the hilt, twisting his arm with increased, hardened pace.

"I'm close, Gladio..." the advisor spoke, voice breaking under strain. "I would quite like my arm back..."

The shield ignored the request.

"Gladio-" Ignis growled, struggling under the weight and strength of the older man.

He felt the shield pull tighter on his arm, a move that caused him to wince. At the same time he felt the man lean over, chest against his back, a hand creep round his hip to his lower half, stroking the length of him.

"Does that help?"

Ignis nodded, struggling to string a sentence together. His lover knew exactly what he liked, how to please every part of him - he wasted no time in doing so. The advisor squeezed his eyes shut again, glasses slipping down awkwardly over his nose.

Against the soreness of his twisted arm and the tingling pleasure of being stroked, Ignis gasped into the pillow, a strangled sound of pleasure. It only took a moment for him to be pushed, completely and utterly so, over the edge into the abyss. Overwhelmed he cried out, coming into the hand of the shield, his voice shaken as he tried desperately to silence himself and failed.

Gladio slowed his pace momentarily, hand wet with the advisor's seed. He had little time to think of it.

His vision had started to blur.

"Ignis.."

The advisor did not reply, weak and breathless beneath him.

The feel of his lover had been the limit, enough to bring the shield to climax, knuckles whitening as he gripped the flesh of the man beneath him. His knee gave way, sending him down into a heap on top of the body of the smaller man, crushing his twisted arm that he had held behind his back.

Ignis writhed beneath him.

"Gladio.."

The shield opened his eyes, alerted by the tone in his lovers voice and the feel of an arm between them.

He moved quickly onto his side, the room spinning still from adrenaline.

"I'm sorry.."

Gladio placed a nervous hand on the arm of the advisor, as it returned to his side.

"Ignis.."

The man in question turned onto his back, slowly of course, exhaling painfully. His glasses glimmered in the darkness, no longer on his face but on the bed beside them.

Gladio sighed, guiltily. The advisor lay back against the pillow, eyes closed, eyebrows furrowed as he dealt with the stabbing sensation in his arm.

"However did you get to be so heavy..." he murmured under his breath, his free hand clutching at his arm.

"I'm sorry, Iggy."

Gladio pulled the duvet around them, the pair shivering slightly. He found Ignis's glasses and placed them on the bedside table, returning himself to the younger man's side. He was thankful not to have damaged them along with the advisors arm - _a fate worse than death_ , he thought nervously.

He felt the younger man move against him, adjusting the position of his elbow, twisting his wrist a few times, testing the movement of his fingers under the sheets, a move that only added to the shields guilt.

"Don't fret," Ignis spoke softly, opening his eyes to look at the man at his side. "I'm quite alright..."

"I should hope so." Gladio said, frowning. "I'm sorry.."

He pulled the advisor, gently, into him, arms around him protectively. He felt Ignis relax slightly, with a sigh.

"It will make for an interesting bruise, I'm sure," the younger man whispered, snuggling a little closer to his lover. "However you may have to help me in the morning if Noct has decided to sleep on the floor again..."

Gladio nodded.

"Of course," he said, calmer now. "Anything you need."

He gently stroked the sore arm of his lover, reassuringly.

"Want a potion?"

Ignis shook his head.

"I'll man up," he replied, with a small sigh.

Gladio smiled, weakly. He placed a small kiss on his lips.

"I'll make it up to you, in the morning."

"Of course.."

The pair said nothing more, the room filling with silence once again. Ignis thought little more of his injury, closed his eyes and allowed the darkness to engulf him for a brief while. He had promised the shield he would sleep and so he did.

He convinced himself however, it would only be a short rest. And yet, a short rest in turn had been many hours. It was a sensation the advisor could never get used to.

When he finally woke up to daylight, Gladio was no longer at his side. However it wasn't the lack of warmth at his side that had roused him. Someone was shouting.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

* * *

It took the advisor several moments longer than necessary to consider that he was truly hearing the sound of raised voices and that it was not an unruly fragment of his imagination.

He frowned, deeply unsettled. An uncomfortable sensation twisted inside of him, urging him to sit up.

The curtains were still shut, as he left them the night before, the morning light burning behind them. It was in that moment he realised the shouting was coming from outside, muffled behind glass, when it finally stopped.

Ignis paused momentarily - waiting for it to start again - but it didn't.

He reached for the bedside lamp, flicking on the switch - nothing. The room remained in darkness.

Ignis pulled himself from the bed, naked, shivering in the cold air. He clambered over to switch on the main light, to no avail. The power was out.

"Gladio?" He called out.

He checked the ensuite bathroom, empty and darkened. All of the shield's belongings had disappeared from the room.

 _Its unlike you to leave without saying goodbye_ , he thought.

Nervously he dressed himself - yesterday's clothes - leaving his glasses behind in fluster. It was in his nature to be logical, rational at least, and yet he couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

The sound of glass smashing into a thousand pieces roused him from his thoughts, coming from outside.

Without thinking, he went to the window, concerned at the sounds that had roused him from sleep and the lack of power to the building, frightened that someone was trying to break in through a window downstairs...His hand pulled back the curtain.

He winced slightly and rubbed his tired eyes, a little sensitive to the morning light. It took the advisor a moment to focus - he blinked hard in disbelief.

A black cloud of smoke haunted the sky in the nearby distance, several buildings on fire, both civilian and government.

Ignis paused, attempting to consider what was happening. He strained to look down to the entrance of the citadel annex, usually heavily guarded. The guards who stood on the doorstep were long gone.

The sound of bullets in the distance stung the air.

Ignis paused, his heart beating a little harder in his chest.

 _Where are the guards?_

 _Have I been left alone?_

He closed his eyes briefly, attempting to think, quickly.

 _I have to protect the prince_ , he thought continually with urgency, _I need to go to him and make sure he is safe..._

Adrenaline coursed through him, rushing him out of the guest room to his own bedroom.

The small distance between rooms seemed to take a life time to cover, spurred on by the inability to think clearly.

He felt afraid.

"Noct-"

He refused to wait for a response and swung the door open.

The prince lay asleep in his bed, still and silent, unaware.

Ignis paused.

Something had perched itself at the foot of the bed, dark, threatening contrails rising from it, growling at the new intruder to the room. It bared its teeth in anger.

The advisor had only seen such a creature in books and yet here it was, a Voretooth, in his room.

The daemon hissed furiously, its eyes narrowing, its arms outstretched as it moved slowly, stalking its way towards the man who returned its cold stare.

Despite the daemon edging its way closer, Ignis paused, frozen to the spot as he struggled to think, struggled to move or see.

He urged himself to respond with attack, his body screaming at him to simply do _something_ , and yet he did not. Overwhelmed, he felt himself sink into the darkness.

It was silent, once again.

It took the advisor several moments to realise he was asleep, his head comfortably on a pillow and a duvet wrapped tightly around his frame. His eyes opened.

Ignis frowned in realisation. _A dream_ , he thought, _a most unpleasant one._

He could feel his heart racing furiously in his chest, his skin covered in a layer of sweat.

With a sigh, he rubbed his eyes, a simple action taking longer than usual; his arm ached tremendously from the night before. He thought of his lover, a tiny fragment of the nightmare sending a slightly anxious jolt through his body. He rolled over to feel for him, seeking some sort of comfort from the older man.

The shield was no longer there. Ignis hesitated.

"Gladio?" He called out, sitting up suddenly.

The room was empty, the curtains drawn, woefully familiar. He dared not try the light switch, afraid to tempt fate, instead pulling himself from the bed. He perched on the edge of where he had slept, still warm, feet comfortably on the ground.

He thought little of being naked, distracted by the dull ache shooting down his arm. Retrieving his glasses from the bedside table, he inspected the damage. As expected, a considerable bruise stained his elbow.

 _It would be difficult to dress ones self_ , he thought, _let alone attempt to wrestle a Voretooth out of the bedroom_. Despite the small, half hearted smile that lingered on his face, Ignis hoped it would never come to that.

He staggered up from the bed, ignoring the temptation to draw back the curtain and check that war hadn't broken out. Yesterday's clothes were scattered on the floor, _hardly tempting_ , he thought bitterly. Luckily a pair of folded, clean cotton pyjamas waited for him on the chest of drawers, exactly where he had left them. He had been too tired to put them on the night before.

Slowly and with difficulty, he slipped them on, wincing as he pulled the shirt over his shoulder and damaged arm. It took a little longer than usual to button up.

The advisor finally made his way over to the curtains, holding his breath and hesitating for a moment before opening them. He exhaled with relief when he discovered the city was at peace, no buildings on fire, guards still obediently on the doorstep - no wall had been breached.

He felt foolish for even considering such a thing and made his way out of the guest bedroom. However the dream was soon forgotten, as he became warmly distracted by the familiarity of morning. Ignis could hear talking coming from the kitchen and living area, voices he recognised as the prince and the shield. A little awkwardly he realised he must've overslept for both to be awake and up before himself.

Feigning some mild embarrassment, he smoothed over his hair and peered around the doorway at the others, sitting up at the kitchen counter, eating breakfast.

Gladio caught his sight first, nodding at him.

"Hey."

Ignis returned the gesture, feeling a second pair of eyes turn to face him as he approached the kitchen space. The prince smiled.

"Morning, specs."

"Morning." Ignis replied, eyes studying the prince also in pyjamas.

"Gladio made pancakes, they're pretty good."

The advisor looked to the shield, the man fully dressed and seemingly showered. He had a smile on his face, not seeking any approval for his helpfulness but rather revelling in the relief he witnessed on Ignis's face.

"Well aren't you lucky.." Ignis replied warmly, approaching the prince's side.

He felt the shield's amber eyes studying him closely, kettle boiling in the background. His eyes fell on Ignis's damaged arm, concealed under his pyjama shirt. In the several minutes of being around the advisor he had already noticed him using his left hand instead of the right with any movement.

"Sleep well?" Gladio spoke up suddenly, his stare making the advisor a little nervous.

"So so.." Ignis said, adjusting his glasses. "Although I must remark that I slept better knowing I'd have some help in the morning.."

Gladio smiled, standing up from his chair to attend to the kettle.

"Ebony?"

"Yes, thank you." Ignis replied, leaning back against the kitchen counter.

"Noct?"

"Uh no, thanks." The boy replied, looking up from his plate. "Too bitter."

Ignis smiled, studying the boy at his side.

"I'm pleased to see you out of bed," Ignis spoke, noticing the near empty plate.

"Only just." Noct replied, looking to the shield as he poured the advisors drink. "Couldn't even get out of bed until Gladio came in and dosed me up."

Ignis adjusted the glasses that had slipped a little down his face for the second time, and looked towards the boy finishing his breakfast. Despite having a returned appetite, Noct appeared pale, more so than usual. Dark circles appeared around bloodshot eyes.

"Do you feel any better than yesterday?" Ignis asked, arms folded carefully as he leaned against the kitchen counter.

The prince shrugged, placing his knife and fork on the finished plate.

"It's hard to tell." He said, thoughtfully. "I feel...numb I guess."

"That is to be expected." Ignis confirmed, meeting the stare of the prince. "Elixir will do that to you."

"Oh yeah?"

The advisor nodded.

"Whilst it is prescribed as pain relief, it is in some cases used in the treatment of insomnia and anxiety." He explained.

The prince raised an eyebrow.

"Like a Valium?" He asked, a little curious.

Ignis nodded again, noticing the tiny spark of amusement in the boy's face.

"To an extent.."

"Sounds good to me, I guess..." Noct replied with a sigh, resting on his elbows. "As long as it does the trick."

Ignis frowned, studying the pallid complexion of the boy seated beside him.

"It is powerful medication.." the advisor assured him. "You should start to feel better soon."

"I'll hold you to it."

He felt the shield return to his side, two cups of coffee placed on the kitchen counter alongside the pair.

"Thank you," Ignis said, sitting himself on a chair between the prince and the shield.

Gladio smiled at the advisor sympathetically, taking up place net to him in the spare chair.

"I'll be giving the Doctor another call this afternoon, see what he recommends," Ignis reminded Noct, taking a sip of the coffee. "Perhaps the test results will be ready. He may even want to make another appointment to check up on your progress."

"Have you ever had Elixir?"

The advisor paused a little hesitantly, his brows furrowed in thought. He felt a pair of bloodshot eyes staring at him, scrutinising.

"Yes, Noct." He replied, distracting himself with coffee.

"What for?"

Gladio narrowed his eyes at the prince.

"An injury," Ignis continued, quieter than before. "When I was your age."

"Two years ago..." Noct murmured, thoughtfully. "Weird, I don't remember that."

"It was nothing warranting royal attention."

Noct opened his mouth to reply and was cut off by the shield.

"Perhaps the prince would like to go and watch some TV." Gladio suggested, eyes narrowed at the boy. "Give specs a break."

Ignis drank a little more of his coffee, tempted to nod in agreement.

"You'll have to carry me," the prince replied, casually.

Mid drink the advisor frowned, his eyes turning back to look at the prince.

"Are you unable to walk?" Ignis asked, concerned.

Noct shrugged.

"I can walk but the room spins..." he explained with a sigh. "Not sure I feel like chancing it on a full stomach.."

The prince tore his eyes from his advisors concerned stare, looking to the shield instead.

"Hey big guy - any chance you could lift me onto the sofa?" Noctis asked, attempting to clamber down from the slightly inconvenient chair at the kitchen counter.

"Careful, Noct," Ignis warned, alerted by the shakiness of the prince on his feet.

He proceeded to help until Gladio stood up from his chair and beat him to it.

"Steady.." the shield murmured, helping Noct to his feet as he stood from the chair.

"Thanks," Noct replied, grasping the older man by the sleeves.

"Not even going to try walking?" The shield asked with a small smile, allowing the boy to steady himself against him.

"With you at my beck and call..."

"Don't get used to this."

The prince rolled his eyes - the advisor watching closely as he struggled.

Gladio was considerably stronger than Ignis and found little effort in lifting the prince off his feet. He couldn't quite imagine how the advisor would've managed to do the same with his injured arm and was just happy to be of some help. He carried the prince across the space of the kitchen to the sofa, just a few metres away in the adjoining space.

"There you go..." the shield said, lowering the prince onto the sofa. " _Your highness_..."

Noct narrowed his eyes at the older man, receiving a grin in return.

Gladio said nothing but made sure he was comfortable at least, and that the TV was on for him with the remote nearby.

"Need anything from the fridge?"

"Hey now you're really spoiling me, Gladio." Noct said, resting back against the cushions. "You'll make Ignis jealous."

The shield smirked to himself, ignoring the watchful observance on the other side of the room.

"I think Iggy could do with a break from you and your every whim." He informed the prince, returning to the man drinking Ebony at the kitchen counter. "Am I correct?"

"Quite possibly." Ignis replied, a little sternly.

He heard Noctis scoff from the sofa.

"You probably don't know what to do with yourself on your days off."

"Is that so?" Ignis asked, finishing the remainder of his drink. "I hardly think someone else making you breakfast counts as giving me a _day off_...don't you think?"

Noct shrugged, and laid back a little further into the sofa.

"Would you _like_ the day off?"

Ignis sighed, placing the cup down on the kitchen counter.

"Don't be foolish."

"Gladio could set you up on a date." Noct continued, gently teasing. "For your day off."

The shield smirked.

"Sound good to you specs?" Gladio asked, looking to the advisor.

"Hell yeah." Noct replied, changing the channel on the TV.

"You got any recommendations?"

"I dunno, surely you must know some girls.." Noct suggested.

"No, thank you." Ignis replied calmly.

He heard the prince laugh quietly to himself, a little muffled with his back to the pair in the kitchen.

"Gladio - don't take no for an answer.."

The shield returned to his chair with a smile, placing a hand at the small of the advisor's back now that the prince was busying himself with TV.

"Any girls you have your eye on, specs?"

Ignis exhaled, a little sterner than before.

"Not particularly."

Gladio chuckled quietly to himself.

"Girls aside, I think he was offering you the day off..."

"That may be so," the advisor replied. "However I'm not sure the King would agree to that."

Gladio nodded, looking over his shoulder at the boy resting on the sofa.

"I won't tell him if you don't." Noct spoke up suddenly, eyes focused on the TV.

"Keen to get rid of me, are we?" The advisor asked.

The prince looked back over his shoulder at Ignis. The shield removed his hand from the advisors back, awkwardly. The prince didn't seem to notice.

"No, not at all," Noct said, with a small sigh. "I just don't need a babysitter."

The advisor rolled his eyes in annoyance.

"Like hell you do." Gladio intervened.

"Shut up."

"When was the last time you cooked anything without setting fire to the kitchen?"

The prince narrowed his eyes at the shield and returned to the TV, snuggling down a little further into the pillows of the sofa. He grumbled something under his breath that neither of the two older men could make out.

"Brat.." the shield muttered to himself, turning to the younger man at his side.

Ignis sighed and removed his glasses momentarily, cleaning them on his pyjama shirt.

"He can be." He spoke almost inaudibly, removing a small mark on the lenses.

"As always you sure have your hands full."

"Of course."

"Well, like I said, I'll stay here with you both as long as you need me," he assured the advisor, calmly. "I'm quite happy to do all the heavy lifting..."

The advisor smiled briefly, returning the glasses to his face.

"Thank you, Gladio." The younger man replied, meeting the amber eyes beside him.

He felt the shields larger hand grasp his own on the kitchen counter, out of the view of the prince.

"Now that we have a moment semi-alone..."

Ignis looked up.

"How is your arm?" Gladio asked, his voice lowered.

"Ah.."

"Does it hurt?"

The advisor sighed thoughtfully.

"It's a little tender," Ignis replied, rubbing it carefully with his free hand.

"Did it bruise?"

"Unfortunately."

Gladio frowned.

"Show me.." he asked, taking the injured arm carefully into his hand.

He didn't wait for the advisor to reply and simply slipped the sleeve of his pyjama shirt up over his elbow and forearm. Ignis winced at the movement - Gladio paused.

The bruising was nothing short of what he had expected.

"Jeez..."

"Mhm."

"I'm sorry, Iggy." He spoke, guiltily.

Ignis shook his head.

"It was an accident," the younger man explained. "And besides, you didn't break anything."

"That's not the point." He replied, a little more solemn this time.

"I'm quite alright, Gladio." Ignis assured him, with a small nod.

Ignis felt the roughness of his lover's hand trace the purple mark from his elbow gently, meeting a rather faded yet twisted scar that ran the length of his arm. He watched the shield continually frown, hesitating as he considered his next words carefully.

"You know, when Noct started asking about your injury," he said, quietly. "I remembered that it was your right arm."

The advisor paused thoughtfully, eyes watching the shield's fingers run the length of his scar - an uncomfortable topic - he had a feeling it would be brought up again following the prince's innocent questioning.

"It hasn't hurt for some time." Ignis spoke, softly.

"I'd hope not." Gladio continued. "I had almost forgotten.."

"Almost?"

Gladio nodded.

"Almost," he replied. "Its hard to forget."

The advisor sighed with a small nod, wincing slightly at the memory.

He had been younger, just days short of his 18th birthday when a corrupted Crownsguard entered the citadel building. The chaos that ensured left dozens dead, slaughtered upon sight with a tainted dagger from the Empire.

Gladio pulled the sleeve back down over the bruising and the scar, a movement that made the advisor retrieve his arm from his grip a little uncomfortably.

"There's no particular need to worry." Ignis explained calmly, his eyes meeting those before him. "It looks worse than it is."

"It looks painful."

"Its nothing I cannot cope with."

The older man sighed.

"I know, Iggy," Gladio replied. "I just don't want to be the one to take you back to square one."

Ignis felt the older man place a hand on his forearm, out of view of the prince.

"You have done no such thing," he said, bluntly.

"An injury like that can affect the body for years after," Gladio spoke from knowledge. "I've seen it amongst the soldiers numerous times, just keep an eye on it, don't push yourself if it's hurting..."

Ignis adjusted his glasses, attempting to maintain composure. He disliked being made a fuss of, particularly when it came to sympathy.

"Understood."

He looked over his shoulder momentarily, the prince unaware of their conversation and uninformed of the events that had taken place that day in the citadel. The King had forbidden the matter to be discussed beyond the realm of the council and the few who had survived their injuries. Ignis only obliged.

Gladio squeezed the advisors uninjured arm gently, attempting to rouse the younger man who seemed to stare off elsewhere in the direction of the prince watching TV.

He assumed that the advisor was deep in thought and studied him carefully, eyebrows furrowed in concentration as his mind ticked over. The incident was something the two rarely discussed, if ever, since the short period afterwards. _It was understandable_ , Gladio thought, _Ignis had suffered considerably_.

An injury that should have healed in a matter of weeks had taken its toll, the Empire's toxin on the blade setting recovery back many months. Nonetheless Ignis had refused any time off from his duties and had continued to serve the prince, relying on overwhelmingly high doses of Elixir to get by without any fuss. For the shield it had been difficult to watch.

Then and now, he responded in the only way he knew how.

"You want anything?"

"Pardon?"

"Hungry?"

Ignis paused, blinking slightly as he was pulled from his thoughts.

"Perhaps, a little." He replied, studying the older man at his side. "What would you like me to cook?"

Gladio smiled, his lover seemingly a little perplexed.

"My treat, specs."

"You want to cook?"

"Yeah." The shield insisted. "Obviously I can't cook as well as yourself but I said I'd take care of you today-"

"Who'd have thought you would make such a good babysitter?"

Gladio paused, a little unexpectedly.

"Are you making fun of me?"

Ignis smiled this time, a reaction that warmed the shield.

"Not at all," Ignis reassured him. "Please take care of me."

##

The King paced the room - as he had done for the hundredth time that hour. He was finding it increasingly difficult with the strain on his weak leg, yet his mind raced furiously and prevented all manner of stillness.

Clarus watched him closely, document at hand.

"How many?" The King asked, turning to face the other man.

"34 dead. Possibly more."

The King nodded.

"And the risk of further casualties?"

"Breach of the wall is imminent." Clarus said. "It will merely be a case of damage control."

The King exhaled in frustration, anger coursing through him.

"Why now?" He asked, in annoyance. "Why do they come now?"

Clarus watched as the King composed himself, frustration threatening to boil over. His eyes scanned the report in hand.

"Intelligence suggests two options." He continued. "It could be that they're simply testing the wall. There is also the possibility that they have an informant drawing them in to our location."

"An informant? In the citadel?"

"It's a possibility. It isn't the first time."

The King nodded, thinking for a moment.

"And which do you believe is more likely?"

"The latter."

The King nodded, adjusting his standing uncomfortably. His bad leg was beginning to numb.

"What will you have me do, your majesty?" Clarus asked plainly, clutching ever tightly at the documents.

"Seek them out." The King replied without thought.

"Understood." Clarus spoke. "I will deploy the Crownsguard immediately."

He bowed momentarily, turning to leave upon instruction.

"Wait."

He paused as the King spoke up, raising an eyebrow at the change of tone in his voice.

"I would like someone to bring my son to me."

"What is the prince's current location?"

"Citadel annex, with his advisor." The King confirmed. "He is unwell."

Clarus hesitated.

"If there is an informant in the citadel it would unwise." He suggested. "It's more than likely there will be an attempt to take your life, and his, particularly if they are aware of his condition."

The King shook his head, anxiously.

"I am concerned for his safety."

"The prince's safety will not be compromised," Clarus assured, meeting the worried eyes of the King. "As I am to understand, Gladiolus is with them both."

"Are you certain?"

Clarus nodded. The King paused to think, leaning all the greater on his walking stick.

"What else do you suggest we do?"

"Immediate lock down on all buildings with a 5km radius of the citadel. Until we find the informant."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

Gladio enjoyed watching Ignis. In truth, it stemmed from their work.  
They were so often in close proximation at the citadel, their duties near to each other but parallel at the same time, it had become a near daily occurrence to catch sight of the advisor without his knowledge, briefcase in hand.  
He enjoyed studying the younger man's little nuances as he went about his work, the self conscious adjustments to clothing and forever fiddling with his glasses, even the small flicker in his eyes when he gave a rare smile.  
At times the shield didn't even realise he was doing it, studying the man he passed in the citadel several times in a day. He was sure Ignis hardly noticed the pair of eyes following him at times, the younger man usually too focused on the task at hand.  
Today was no different.

Gladio washed up the plates and cooking utensils after breakfast, listening to the TV as it played in the seated area across from the kitchen space. There wasn't much on; he was sure Noct wasn't particularly watching.  
His eyes followed the advisor around the room, tidying up a little, organising his reports and briefcase at the dining table, intermittently checking up on Noct who lay diagonally across the sofa.  
Despite his best efforts, Ignis still hadn't found the time to dress himself. He wandered back and forth the room all morning, pyjama-clad with appropriate bed hair.  
It was a small detail of amusement for the shield.

Gladio finished the washing up, making sure everything was put back where he had found it. Ignis liked the kitchen a certain way - each pot and pan had its own special place, as he had been told.  
Drying off his hands on a nearby towel, he took a moment to stretch, his back a little stiff from spending the night on a different mattress. Being so ridiculously tall had its cons, he reminded himself, yet it was a price worth paying.  
He made his way over to the armchair by the sofa, sinking down into the soft material with a sigh, momentarily comfortable.

Across from him the prince lay on his side, eyes shut tight. His chest rose and fell slowly, as if in a deep, deep sleep. He wondered how long the boy had been out.  
At times it was hard to believe this was the same person who took on a Voretooth 48 hours ago, Gladio thought, noting the lack of stubble on the boy's face. Noct looked barely old enough to hold a sword let alone kill with one.  
He wondered how furious Ignis would be if he found out he'd taken the prince out of the city to kill a Voretooth - a particularly nasty one - purposely trapped the night before by the shield himself. It was an ambitious venture, Gladio decided, on both their parts. Noct had the bruise to show for it.

He looked to his lover, blissfully unaware, filing away paperwork at the table.

"Specs..."

"Yes?"

"He's asleep."

Ignis looked up, unaware that Gladio had moved across the room without him noticing. He pushed his glasses a little further up the bridge of his nose.

"Good." Ignis spoke, lowering his voice. "Best we leave him to it."

Gladio nodded, a little thoughtfully.

"Come here."

The older man watched the look of slight hesitation on his lover's face, followed by the motion of putting his paperwork down, _just for a moment_. Obediently the younger man approached. He stopped at the side of the armchair, eyes turning to Noct.

The boy lay on his side, eyes very much shut, clutching one of the pillows as he so often did.

"Perhaps he will sleep this off." Ignis murmured quietly, feeling a hand snake it's way gently around his wrist.

Gladio nodded, pulling the advisor a little closer to his position in the armchair.

"It'll certainly help." He replied, looking up at the younger man beside him. "How much work do you have left to do?"

Ignis sighed at the thought, biting his lower lip.

"Your face says it all."

"I should be able to complete it by this evening." The advisor replied, a little bleakly.

He gave a small smile.

"You've been a big help, Gladio."

"Anytime." The shield replied, with a small nod.

"Now - work, and Noctis aside..." Ignis said, wearily. "I really ought to have a bath and get dressed.."

He felt the grip of the shield's hand slip down from his wrist to his own hand, squeezing gently.

"You look cute in pyjamas."

The advisor blinked a little harder than usual. His eyes nervously darted to the sleeping boy behind him- perfectly still.

"He's asleep." Gladio repeated, holding back a smile.

He enjoyed the pink shade of the younger man's face, as subtle as it was.

" _Cute_..."

"Iggy - go have your bath." He added, giving the advisor a little nudge in the direction of the door. "Enjoy the peace and quiet whilst it lasts."

"Right." The advisor murmured almost inaudibly, a little uneasy.

He took one last look at the prince, sound asleep on the sofa.

"You're welcome to join me if you fancy some conversation.." He added, on his way out of the room.

Gladio smiled, without reply. It was a shame he himself had showered and dressed at the crack of dawn, he thought, he fancied the idea of a bath. With Ignis, that is.

It took a few moments for the sound of running water to be heard - definitely a bath and not a shower. He slowly stood up and stretched for the second time, his back clicking loudly. Noct didn't stir at least.

Leaving the prince to it, the shield made his way out of the room, following the sound of running water. He wasn't sure if Ignis was still using the guest room or not, but upon inspection it was empty. It was a little tidier than before, the bedsheets had been changed presumably to remove the evidence of the night before, Gladio assumed. _They'd made quite a mess with that damn strawberry lotion_.

Without much thought, he made his way to Ignis's bedroom, a beautifully furnished room he'd never had the pleasure of spending the night in.  
From what he could see, this room also had been tidied since this morning - unsurprisingly Ignis had ensured it was back in order and now Noct-free - along with a few other things. Again, the bedsheets had been changed ( _Iggy sure had been busy_ ) and an overwhelmingly huge pile of reports on the dressing table had mysteriously vanished. Unfortunately the once intricate wallpaper still had a vicious split in it from the throw of a dagger - he wondered how long it would take Ignis to go stir crazy over that.

"That was very expensive wallpaper, if you must know..."

Gladio looked over his shoulder at the advisor standing in the doorway to the bathroom, a very fluffy bath towel at hand.

"At least you didn't pin Noct to the wall." He replied, half jokingly.

"Oh the positives..." Ignis murmured with a sigh.

He took a few steps back into the bathroom, adjusting the temperature of the bath as it ran. _Piping hot with bubbles, a bar of Altissian soap to hand and a drop of Lavender oil for good measure, just the way he liked it_.  
The sound of footsteps followed through the doorway.

"You know, I don't blame you." Gladio spoke. "I'd have done the same if Noct crawled into bed with me."

"Would you now..." the younger man retorted, turning off the taps.

Gladio smiled slightly, sitting back on the wooden stall perched by the sink, silently hoping it would take his weight ( _he thanked the gods it did_ ).

"It smells really nice in here."

Ignis smiled, placing the bath towel on the heated railing.

"Lavender oil." He said matter of factly, hands reaching for his top button. "Very good for aches and pains."

"I take it that's how you've put up with Noct all these years..." the shield replied, enjoying the little smile on his lovers face.

He took a moment to admire the younger man before him as he started to undress, button by button, undoing his shirt.

"Ah..you may have to help me get this over my shoulder..."

"Of course..."

The shield was up like a shot to help, frowning at the thought of this being _totally his fault_ , having gotten a little carried away the night before. He allowed the advisor to finish the last two buttons, carefully helping him slip the pyjama shirt off his shoulder and injured arm.

"Thank you..." Ignis uttered, wincing a little as he twisted his arm.

"Sure you won't have a potion?" Gladio offered, gently stroking the side of his lovers topless form.

"It's fine." Ignis insisted, with a small nod. "The bath will help."

Gladio nodded in return, a little uneasy. He waited until the younger man was fully undressed and in the bathtub before sitting back down, afraid he would strain himself again.  
Ignis sighed with relief at the feel of the hot temperature, laying his head back against the edge of the bath. His glasses had begun to steam up - an item he always forgot to remove - before deciding to place them on the edge.

"Good?"

"Very." Ignis nodded. "This should help a lot."

"Are you sure?" Gladio asked, pulling the stall closer to the edge of the bath.

"Quite." He replied. "I had a lot of hot baths when I had my injury. It was one of the few things that helped."

"Ah."

Gladio watched him close his eyes for a few moments, seemingly relaxed, the usual frown of stress gracing his features absent for now. He reached a hand towards the advisor, gently stroking the side of his face.

"You look cute in the bathtub."

He felt Ignis smile against his hand.

"There's that cute again..."

"You are cute."

"Stop, Gladio."

The advisor leaned in to the hand that graced his jaw and down his neck, reassuring.

"I love you." He spoke, quieter now.

The shield felt the corners of his mouth form a smile.

"I haven't heard you say _that_ in a while..." He replied, gently teasing, watching Ignis open his eyes.

"Really now?"

"Mhmm. It's been a while."

"Ah...You're quite right." Ignis said. "I apologise.."

Gladio raised an eyebrow, mildly amused.

"...I really do love you, though." He repeated, feeling his lovers hand slip over his chest and under the water. "Gladio."

"I hope so." The shield replied, leaning in to place a kiss on the younger man's lips. "Because I happen to be rather in love with you."

"Really?"

"Yes." Gladio confirmed, his hand stroking gently over the younger man's hip. "Completely."

He watched a small smile grace the advisors face, head leaning back sleepily against the side of the bath. His face had become a little flushed, presumably from the temperature of the water.

"I hope Noct is still asleep." Ignis spoke, sinking in a little further amongst the bubbles. "I can't imagine he'd been too fond of finding you with your hand in my bath water."

"Perhaps not." Gladio replied, gently grasping the younger man's length.

He felt his younger lover tense suddenly, a small gasp escaping his lips. The shield felt him harden under his grip.

"Gladio,"

"Want me to stop?"

Ignis shook his head, eyes closed.

"No."

"You sure?"

"Quite sure." He whispered, exhaling slightly.

The feel of his lovers hand played a welcoming distraction to the sharp pain down his arm. He spread his knees apart in the space of the bath, neck exposed as he lay back a little further, eyes shut.

"I hope you shut my bedroom door..." Ignis said, a little pleading.

He couldn't help but tense up at the gentle strokes, tightly gripping him, teasing the tip as he worked the length of him. Amber eyes watched him closely, as they always did.

"I locked it." Gladio replied. "So quit worrying..."

The shield bit his lower lip at the sight of his lovers exposed neck, holding back the urge to leave little love bites all along the length of his neck. He felt himself harden, unable to tear his eyes away from the younger man's open mouth, his lovely soft lips and the increasingly sharp intakes of breath, his cheeks continually flushing ever pinker from the water.

"Does that feel good?" He asked quietly, increasingly the pace by a fraction.

"Yes," the advisor replied, voice a little shaken. "Can't you tell?"

The shield gave in to the temptation of the younger man's neck, leaning closer over the edge of the bath to kiss along his jaw, nibble gently down his over his Adam's apple, a small moan escaping the mouth so close to his ear.

"I wanted to hear you say it, Ignis.."

He heard the younger man give a small laugh, opening his eyes momentarily.

"I'm not going to last..." Ignis murmured, his eyes hazy. "If that's of any consolation to you..."

He upped the speed of which he stroked the advisor, sending a jolt of electricity through him as he got closer and closer, a slight thrust against the shield's grip starting to form.

"Gladio..."

The advisor bit his lower lip, tension building in the pit of his stomach. The sounds of a small moan were smothered by the kiss of the older man at his side, a tongue gently flitting against his own. He felt a hand find it's way into his hair, pulling him closer, refusing to let him go. Gladio was intense, possessive, traits which make the advisor feel weak and utterly captivated.  
He struggled to hold on any longer, his lover pulling away from his lips to nibble over his jaw, a hand that led down over his neck to send shivers down his spine. It was too much and he came, stifling his cries against the older man's neck.

Ignis felt dizzied, a little overwhelmed suddenly by the sensation of orgasm and the strong heat of the bath water. He rest his head back against the edge of the bath, utterly flushed in the face, out of breath.

He closed his eyes for a few moments, feeling his lover pull back from him.

"That was..." Ignis sighed, pushing his hair back out of his face. "..."

He took a deep breath, a little shakily. His lover simply smiled.

"I hope I didn't ruin your bath too much." Gladio uttered, gently running his fingers over the toned stomach beneath his hand.

"Not possible."

He took a few minutes to calm, his chest rising with every breath. Every part of him felt heavy, his limbs like lead, a fatal combination of pleasure and Lavender oil. It was lovely, he thought, he could do with a little sleep if time permitted it, which it did not.  
Ignis finally sat up a little, his hair damp and continually flopping into his face with minor movement. He returned the smile that flashed at him from his lover, if a little weakly.

"You ok?"

"That I am." Ignis replied. "Enjoying your company."

"You look sleepy."

"Sleepy yes, and a little unorganised."

The advisor brushed his hair out of his eyes for the second time.

"You know, you never wear your hair like that anymore," Gladio spoke, tilting his head to the side as he observed. "I almost forgot you used to wear it like that."

"No, I suppose I don't." The younger man replied, resisting the urge to push it out of his face for perhaps the third time. "Not in some time at least."

"Reminds me of when we first started this." Gladio uttered, remembering. "You were a little different then."

Ignis frowned, green eyes looking to amber ones for some reassurance.

"Oh?"

"Yeah, of course. We both were." He replied, with a nod. "You were so damn shy."

"Shy you say?" Ignis retorted. "In comparison to yourself?"

"Probably."

"I seem to remember seeing you with a different girl every weekend."

"Yeah." Gladio huffed, a little shamefully.

He sighed slightly, watching the advisor blink a little uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry it took me so long." The older man spoke, frowning slightly.

Ignis shook his head.

"No need to apologise." He said warmly. "I was painfully shy."

He felt Gladio squeeze his hand under the water, gently. Ignis smiled, his face still a little pink and his hair feeling a little unkept.  
He hadn't thought of those times before he was with Gladio perhaps since they were present. It hadn't been a spectacularly pleasant era for the advisor. He had been young, overwhelmingly stressed, not to mention very much alone. His parents had been dead for several years and his uncle was often absent for months at a time. At times he was sure the only affection he experienced came from the much younger, slightly overbearing prince. He didn't even mind the constant neediness or the desperate attention the prince craved from him - it had made him feel wanted, loved even.  
Things were very different now.  
All in all, he couldn't ask for more in the current situation. He dared not ask for more, in case of course, it was taken away in an instant.

##

Noctis lay on the cusp of a false sleep.

He had dozed off many hours ago, the TV playing quietly in the background long after he had stopped watching it. There hadn't been much on.  
At some point he felt Ignis's presence nearby, a reassuring hand stroking his hair out of his face, a blanket being placed over him. All the small things that he pretended not to like but couldn't do without, he thought semi-consciously.

Several hours of sleep passed into half a dozen or more. It was not a normal, restful sleep, nothing at all of the sort: the prince merely drifted from dream to consciousness, confused several times as the line between the two had a habit of blurring at times.  
He heard his phone vibrate once or twice on the coffee table - Prompto, he assumed, no doubt questioning his lack of reply.

He watched through tired, half closed eyes as his advisor paced the room, in and out of his line of sight, a phone placed firmly to his ear. A frown had positioned itself over the brow of the older man. He didn't seem too happy, at least it seemed.  
His voice was tense, concerned even.

The prince wondered who was on the other end of the phone call to initiate such a response from his advisor. In his tiredness, it was too difficult to make any assumptions from hushed tones alone.  
In the end Noct closed his eyes and allowed another hour to pass.

Despite the continual bleariness, he felt the numbing warmth of Elixir beginning to wear off. His head swam with the onset of migraine and his bruised side burned uncomfortably.  
The prince was aware of his advisor once again, now sitting in the armchair beside his sleeping form on the sofa. The TV had been switched off and replaced with the ambience of a table lamp in the evening air. He could hear the sound of paper turning, over and over, a pen nib scratching furiously with each flick of notation. Ignis was working.

The prince turned onto his back, stretching slightly as he did so. The smallness of the movement made the room appear to spin violently. He squeezed his eyes shut for several moments, a small gasp of discomfort escaping his lips. His head throbbed.  
It was of no surprise when he felt his advisor's eyes on him suddenly, looking over the bridge of his glasses from the documents in his lap.

"Your highness?"

The prince opened his mouth to speak, pausing momentarily. He had a strange, metallic taste in his mouth.

"Elixir," Noct managed to utter, rubbing his sore eyes. "Please."

He heard the older man rise wordlessly from his seat, placing all his papers on the coffee table before disappearing for a moment. The strange taste in his mouth irritated him slightly. It stung the back of his throat.  
He swallowed uncomfortably, hoping it would go away, despite its stubbornness to remain.

In his discomfort, he did not realise his advisor had returned to his side.  
The prince exhaled with the sudden cold rush of medication, stretching slightly as the Elixir took the edge off his suffering.

"Thank you..."

He heard his advisor sigh, a reassuring hand resting against his forehead.

"I'm assuming you are not feeling any better..."

The prince in question groaned, face contorted slightly as the migraine faded to a dull headache.

"Should I be?"

He felt his advisors hand leave him.

"You still have a temperature.."

When Noct opened his eyes, Ignis had returned to the armchair with full attention on the younger man before him. The frown from earlier had returned to grace his features.

"By now, I'd expect a little more recovery." Ignis explained with a more serious tone. "You are dreadfully pale."

Noct sighed, eyes turning away from his advisors stare.

"How long have I been asleep?" Noct asked, his voice a little weaker than anticipated.

"How long have you been awake, would be a more plausible question.." Ignis replied, watching the boy lay back comfortably into the pillows of the sofa. "It's evening."

"Already?"

The advisor nodded, himself leaning back into the armchair with a small sigh. He studied the prince closely.

"I think it's time I took you to the infirmary."

The prince exhaled, noticeably. The room was spinning.

"Ignis.."

"As your advisor, I think it best we do so." The older man assured. "Just to be sure."

"Be sure of what?"

Ignis rubbed his eyes under his glasses, tired and strained.

"Your health, Noct."

"It's a virus, specs." The prince confirmed, a little too callously for the older man's liking.

"We have no way of telling until the test results come back." Ignis replied, bluntly. "For now, I have to ensure you are taken care of."

"You are taking care of me."

The older man sighed, leaning back into the armchair.

"That may be." He murmured, quieter than before.

Noct gave a nod of acknowledgement, shivering slightly.

"Unfortunately I am not a Doctor."

" _Good_."

He watched the prince pull the blanket around his shoulders, a little tighter.

"Are you cold?"

"No."

Ignis frowned. A lie, he assumed, at the threat of being hospitalised. It had been many years since Noct had been to the infirmary, Ignis thought uncomfortably. It was of no surprise to him that Noct did not wish to return.  
He allowed the prince a moment to adjust himself, attempting to cover every inch of his frame with the blanket with great difficulty. It was a simple movement that should have caused little problem.  
It was uncomfortable to watch.

As the prince twisted, the edge of his pyjama shirt raised up over his side, revealing the edge of the two day old bruise.  
Ignis frowned at the sight of it.

"Noct.."

Ignis watched the boy for a further moment, a cold sweat reflecting in the evening light as he lay back, seemingly defeated by his own blanket.

"I want to sleep." The prince mumbled, closing his eyes for a moment.

His advisor stood up from the armchair, unable to tolerate the sight of the prince struggling for a second longer. He closed the small gap between the armchair and the sofa, unable to draw his attention away from the darkened mark on the boy's side.

A pair of blue eyes opened and stared at the older man now looming over.  
Ignis said nothing, despite the expectant expression on the face of the prince gazing up at him, waiting. Instead he reached for the blanket caught up amongst slender legs and arms, adjusting it carefully, making sure his feet were covered and that he was sufficiently tucked in. Noct watched, silently.

"Comfortable?"

Noct nodded, eyes following the older man as he perched on the small space by his legs.

"Your bruise," he spoke, maintaining a sort of calm. "How is it?"

Noct shrugged, wearily.

"Hurts." He spoke. "A lot."

"I'm not surprised.." Ignis replied, with a small nod. "It looked terribly sore last night."

"It still is." Noct grimaced. "As if feeling like shit anyway wasn't enough..."

"Let me see..."

The older man watched him shift under the blanket, an arm lifting the edge of the blanket.

"Just don't prod me." The prince insisted, wincing at the movement of his side.

"I'll be gentle."

Ignis's hands found their way under the blanket, lifting it over the prince's side. He was careful with his movement, afraid of hurting the boy as the physician had done so the night before. It was a move that proved to be unforgivable for the prince. It was the last thing Ignis wished to do.

He gently lifted the pyjama shirt up.  
"Ah."

The bruise was ghastly - black and blue, swollen - the sight of it alone enough to make the advisor wince. He'd had his own fair share of bruises of course, along with a knife wound for good measure; this however, looked particularly sore.

"Quite an impressive bruise to get from training..." Ignis acknowledged, his voice stern. "You look as if you've been thrown."

"Something like that." Noct replied, wincing at the feel of his shirt gracing his injury.

" _Gladio_..."

Ignis bit his lip, eyebrows furrowed in uncomfortable thought. It was a face Noct knew well, one he didn't like. He swallowed nervously. It was obvious what was coming.  
He heard his advisor sigh, covering the bruise with the blanket again, carefully.

"Noct..." Ignis spoke, quieter now. "I do believe it has worsened since the last time we looked at it..."

"Have you never had a bruise before?" He replied, bluntly.

"More than I care to discuss at this moment."

"Then you'll know they get worse before they get better..."

The advisor took a moment to gather his thoughts, careful not to upset.

"It looks terrible, Noct." Ignis confirmed, watching the prince roll his eyes. "I would even go as far to say, severe."

"You had the Doctor look at it, already."

"Correct, and you will remember that he asked us to keep an eye on it."

"That's why he gave me a box of Elixir," Noct replied, running a hand through his matted hair.

"And it hasn't healed. At all."

"Not yet."

Ignis shook his head, face filling with concern.

"Elixir should heal such a bruise in an instant." He confirmed. "Gods - even a potion would have greater benefit than this.."

"How the hell would you know?"

"Noctis.."

"You have no idea."

The advisor paused, teal eyes meeting the face of the prince staring past his shoulder. Closer now, he couldn't help but feel him shiver through the blanket.

"Don't I?"

"No." Noct replied, calmer this time, eyes returning to his advisors stare. "It's just a bruise."

Ignis hesitated, attempting to maintain a sense of calm and patience for the younger man.

"Are you doubting my judgement?" He asked, annoyance creeping into his voice.

"Am I not allowed to?"

"It would make my position as your friend and advisor quite positively redundant, would it not?"

"Then so be it."  
Noct immediately regretted his choice of words, said out of spite and delirium. The older man on the receiving end said nothing, gathering his thoughts for a moment, adjusting his glasses as he so often did out of uncomfortable habit.

"Might I remind you that first and foremost, I answer to his Majesty," Ignis continued, his voice taking on a colder tone. "Particularly on matters that affect your safety and wellbeing."

"I want to speak to him."

"An impossibility right now."

The prince frowned.

"What?"

"His Majesty is unavailable."

Noct exhaled in annoyance, frustration threatening to boil over.

"Why?" He asked, bluntly.

"I don't know, Noctis."

"Did you speak to him?"

"What part of unavailable don't you understand?"

The prince narrowed his eyes at the unusual tone from his advisor. He watched the older man for a moment, a little caught off guard.

"I've _tried_ , Noct." He spoke, a little calmer than before. "All afternoon."

The prince paused this time, an uncomfortable feeling churning inside of him. He continued to watch his advisor carefully, the older man well aware of the blue eyes studying his every move.

"What do you mean you've tried?"

Ignis removed his glasses momentarily, meaning to clean a little spot off the lenses but failing to do so as his mind wandered. He held them in his hand for a moment.

"It's exactly as it sounds."

Ignis rubbed his eyes with the palm of his free hand, the other clutching his glasses nervously, tired and knowing such questions would come. Noct stared back expectantly, waiting.

"Ignis?"

"I've had great difficulty trying to speak with anyone of importance at the citadel." Ignis informed, his eyes returning to the prince. "I have left messages for both your Doctor and his Majesty, regarding your condition."

Noctis frowned a little harder. His advisor opened his mouth to speak, cautious not to frighten the prince, until of course he was cut off.

"Who picks up?"

"Nobody with great importance." Ignis explained, a little darkly. "I have argued with the same help-desk assistant over the phone all afternoon."

"Then I'll go to the citadel myself."

Ignis shook his head.

"There's no need," he uttered. "Gladio offered to go on our behalf."

Noct opened his mouth to speak, cut off by the gentle touch of a hand gracing his arm.

"Please don't worry, Noct." The advisor insisted. "If we cannot reach your father tonight, or your Doctor, I will take you to the infirmary myself."

Ignis watched the prince close his eyes, exhaling in utter despair.  
" _Don't worry_..."Noct mumbled under his breath. "You have no idea."

Ignis confirmed his thoughts with a mere frown, returning his glasses to his face.

"So you keep reminding me."

He felt the prince at his side suddenly shift in position, sitting up on his elbows. The blanket was pushed aside, in a heap at the edge of the sofa as he swung his feet over to the floor.  
It was a move the boy regretted instantly, the room spinning violently and his side sending shockwaves of pain through him. He took a moment to lean forward, eyes squeezed shut, the very real threat of doubling over onto the floor crossing his mind.

"Careful..." he heard his advisor say, gentle hands holding him in a seated position.

"I'm fine..."

Shrugging off the hold of the older man, he forced himself up from the sofa on weak, trembling legs, ignoring his advisor standing up to help.

"Noct.."

"I'm going to bed." He insisted, without further explanation.

"Would you like some help?" Ignis offered, a comforting hand steadying him as he swayed.

"No." Noct murmured, shrugging him off. "Not right now."

He made sure to snatch his phone from the coffee table, and proceeded to leave.

Somehow he made it out of the living area and to his bedroom door in one piece, despite his stomach threatening nausea and his legs almost giving out on him. He ignored the sound of his advisors footsteps following closely, shutting the bedroom door on him with what little energy he had and collapsing onto his bed. It smelled clean, fresh.  
But of course, Ignis had changed the bedding and tidied up for him, presumably during his sleep in the afternoon.

The prince chose to block out the knock at his bedroom door that followed in the minutes after he had spoken to his advisor, his childhood friend, in an appalling manner.

He dragged himself further up the bed, sweat dripping from his skin as he shivered. Holding his phone in his hand, he checked his messages - all of which were from Prompto - no missed calls however.

Nothing from Dad, he noted.

He tried dialling once, hoping his caller ID would be enough for him to answer, no matter what the situation or meeting he was likely sitting in.

He tried dialling several times more, tempted to throw his phone against the wall at the sixth, seventh drone of the answerphone service.

Finally, in all his frustration and weakness he left a message-

 _Ignis wants to take me to the infirmary.  
Please call me._


End file.
